Lavery gets good tune from Uncle Tom Cobley

The P & D Lydon Plant Hire Handicap Chase saw Uncle Tom Cobley put up a good performance under Declan Lavery (first time to ride the nine-year-old), to land the two mile one furlong event at Ballinrobe.

The King's Theatre gelding made all, he made a mistake four out, but he found more from before the second last to beat the lightly-weighted Vinnes Friend by six lengths.

Lavery explained: "That was a very good performance. Conor (O'Dwyer, the winning trainer) just told me that you can never go fast enough on him – he said get out the gate and use his jumping.

"Turning in he sort of flattened out but once I got at him he picked up again.

"He's cute in his jumping – he missed one but other than that he was a good ride.

O'Dwyer meanwhile commented: "It's been a long time coming. He must be one of the most consistent horses I've ever had.

"He's been unlucky once or twice and the handicapper possibly has him but he deserved his day.

"He'll be kept going during the summer. If we had another one like him it'd be great." (TW & EM)