Pepsi makes experience count in juvenile hurdle

Pepsiwithacap made her previous experience over flights count when holding the late challenge of debutant Aghaboy to win the opening Irish Examiner 3-Y-0 Maiden Hurdle at Killarney.

Making most in the hands of Sean Flanagan, the Gavin Cromwell trained juvenile battled on strongly from the back of the last when strongly challenged by favourite, Aghaboy.

Sixth on her debut over course and distance last month, the daughter of Dawn Approach subsequently went on to finish second at Uttoxeter. The experience of those runs certainly stood to her here.

Sean Flanagan said; "I rode her here first time over hurdles and she subsequently finished second beaten a long way in the UK.

"The intention was to jump out smart and to get a lead but I was quickly away and she jumped the first well. She was very green and lairy the whole way and jumped a lot better on her previous runs than today but I think she was just having a look.

"There were a lot of first-timers so I decided to go forward and while she had never been in front before, she stayed going forward."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes