Pivot continues his transformation

Pivot Bridge has proved a revelation since returning to hurdling last month, and he landed his biggest pot to date as he took the feature race on day one of the Killarney May Festival, the Grade B Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle.

The Adrian McGuinness trained six-year-old was campaigned on the level earlier this year, winning once at Dundalk from his four starts. He then returned to hurdling at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival, springing a 25/1 surprise in the competitive handicap.

He was just beaten on his next start at the Punchestown Festival, going down by half a length to Macnicholson, and he was sent off a 9/1 chance this afternoon under David Splaine. The Game Changer (14/1) under Kevin Sexton for Charlie Swan came with a late challenge after the last, but the winner, who was carrying a flyweight of just nine stone seven, wasn’t for catching, as he went on to score by two and three parts of a length. Blue Hell (7/1) completed the placings a further two and a half lengths back in third under Danny Mullins for his father Tony, while the 5/1 favourite (backed from 6/1 on-course) Desertmore Stream could only manage a disappointing tenth.

Adrian McGuinness said afterwards: "Before Christmas he was going to go for a selling hurdle but now we are going for the Galway Hurdle!

"He has improved no end. I don’t know whether he had an infection at Christmas time but he was bursting, but it sorted now.

"He will go for the Galway Hurdle now, and he likes a low weight. He might have one run on the flat before then.

"He is a half brother to a Guineas winner in Speciosa. He wasn’t bred to win around Killarney."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes