Seventh win for Luke's Benefit

Rising 12 year old Luke's Benefit registered his seventh career success in the Fairyhouse Membership 2014 Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse today, scoring a narrow win under Brian Cawley.

The grey gelding was all out on the run-in and eventually held the challenge of Might Be Magic by a short head.

The winner, who had raced just four times without success before joining Denis Hogan as a nine year old in 2011, has since won seven times for the trainer who, following today's win, said “he is rising 12 but is still full of enthusiasm.

“He has settled down a lot and when he came to us as a nine year old, he had low mileage. That's his grade and he is now back on a winning mark. He ran a nice race last Sunday Brian (Cawley) gave him a perfect ride. There's a chase on New Year's Eve at Punchestown that he has won for the past two years and will more than likely go there next.”

By Thomas Weekes, quotes from Gary Carson