Road To Home a birthday gift for Alan O'Sullivan

Road To Home (11/1) had failed to complete in both point-to-point starts in the spring but made a winning debut under Rules in the Bryan MacMahon (Pro-Am) INH Flat Race.

Ridden by birthday boy Alan O'Sullivan for his father Eugene, the Gamut gelding tracked the pace before coming through to lead turning into the straight and stayed on well to defeat odds-on fvourite Mazyad by two and three quarter lengths.

The winning trainer commented: "He is a lovely horse and should have won in Kildorrery first-time-out but fell. He is owned by Alfie Lawless and his wife Anne from Galway and I was sent the horse to point to point and sell, so what will happen now I don't know.

"Alan said that that would be as good as he'd like the ground but I'd be tempted to go for a winners' bumper.

"We like this horse a lot and while someone will end up with him, I'd love to keep him."

He added: "It is great for Alan who is 21 today and he recently got his Western Championship in the point-to-points (sharing the title with Derek O'Connor)."

Quotes from Thomas Weekes