My Immortal off the mark for Connell

My Immortal and Barry O'Neill won a thrilling renewal of the Mullingar Maiden Hurdle at Kilbeggan by a short head at the end of three miles and a furlong.

Three horses held chances across the track jumping the last with My Immortal just in front on the inside.

The Shantou gelding was strongly pressed by on the run-in and the pair touched in the closing stages. Wasdale Park finished well on the outer of this battle with the whips drawn on all three.

It was My Immortal who hit the line first at 7/1 from 250/1 outsider Lanziano (in first-time cheekpieces) who fought grimly all the way home. Wasdale Park kept cutting into the deficit and was another short head away in third at 3/1.

“He won a point-to-point and was probably unlucky not to win a bumper,” said trainer Barry Connell.

“He was beaten in a photo finish before so I'm delighted to get the verdict there.

“He jumped well in the main and I'd say he's going to be a nice horse going over a fence.

“Hopefully he'll be eligible for a handicap mark now and we'll see what kind of a rating he gets.

“We could head to Listowel or something like that. He's not a winter horse.

“He had to end up coming in on the worst of the ground on the inside there which wasn't ideal.

“He's a light framed horse and definitely wouldn't want Naas or Navan in the middle of winter.

“We'll keep him going until the ground goes bad and then we'll have a go next summer with him. It's nice to get that job done.”

My Immortal was successful in a Ballycrystal point-to-point for Cormac Doyle last October.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson