King Ferdinand raises the spirits at damp Killarney

A drop of soft Kerry rain wasn't going to deter the Gortroe Racing Club from turning out in numbers at Killarney to cheer on King Ferdinand (15/2) and the Milan gelding was given a great reception by his owners after a comfortable victory in the Thorn Plant Hire Handicap Chase.

The eight-year-old led after the first fence in the straight on the final circuit (middle fence omitted) and went away under Alan O'Sullivan to beat A Nod To Getaway by five-and-half-lengths.

The winning rider's father is trainer Eugene O'Sullivan who said: "He is an improving horse and it is a great syndicate, from my local pub the Gortroe Inn. They formed after a few of my horses won and Vinny Grimes and Tony O'Shea are the main men in it. There are 26 members and their families and this is unreal - they are having savage luck with him."

He added: "He missed five days work after Mallow as he pulled a shoe and then pulled it twice more and if that hadn't happened, I'd have been very confident. The race fell into our lap when two horses fell and when the two front-runners came back to us.

"Our plan is to go to Listowel for the amateur handicap chase and then to go to Cheltenham in November."

Quotes from Tom Weekes