Scalor scores at 25/1 for Doyle & Flanagan

Liz Doyle and Sean Flanagan teamed up to take the opening Kilbegganraces.com Maiden Hurdle as Scalor sprang a 25/1 surprise.

The French-bred gelding had shown promise on his bumper debut at Punchestown early last year but following five subsequent runs was reappearing here after a near ten-month break.

The five-year-old tracked the leaders before battling it out with 50/1 chance Grange Walk in the straight, and Flanagan’s mount just found a bit extra in the closing stages to prevail by half a length.

The 6/5 favourite Top Line Tommy could find no extra at the business end and weakened back to finish 12 lengths adrift in third.

Doyle said, “He’s not a bad little horse. He was second in his bumper first time out and I had settling issues with him. The better ground also helped and he had a bit of a blow so hopefully he can progress. We might have a look at something in Galway.

“He hadn’t run in a long time so he wasn’t wound within an inch of his life.

“The passage of time has helped him to settle. He thought he was a Formula 1 car for a while as a bumper horse!”