Local course win for Mountain Lough

Mountain Lough survived a Stewards' Enquiry before completing his win in the Munster Maiden Hurdle at Cork today, winning for trainer Louis Archdeacon and jockey Andrew McNamara

The son of Anshan (as big as 6/1 this morning and generally 5s) raced prominently before moving to the front two out. Two good jumps over the final jumps helped his cause and while the gelding hung left close home, held on for a half length win over Luimneach Abu with a similar distance back to 5/2f Clara More

The Stewards subsequently enquired into the incident on the run-in but left the result unchanged.

Banteer based Archdeacon, who trains some eight miles from the course, later joked “I've only three horses for the racecourse so it's not often I get to talk to ye (the press)!”

“Mountain Lough is very well handicapped over hurdles and should be capable of winning a similar race. Andrew (McNamara) said a two and a half miles hurdle would suit fine and he'd do on most grounds apart from too firm or too heavy.”

The winner carries the colours of Pat Byrnes, a brother to trainer Charles Byrnes and previous handler of the gelding.