Shanahan opens jumps account with King

Pat Shanahan saddled his first hurdle winner with his very first runner over jumps as King Of The Picts took the Anglo Printers Novice Hurdle in fine style at Bellewstown.

The Rock Of Gibraltar gelding won on the Flat at Wexford last summer for Shanahan but was in the care of Dessie Hughes when runner-up over hurdles again at the south-eastern venue this spring.

Andrew McNamara sent the 6/1 chance to the front before the three hurdles in the straight, and he stayed on strongly on the run-in to beat Green Dragon (9/4) by three and a quarter lengths. Welsh Nayber (14/1) was a further seven lengths adrift in third, while the 13/8 favourite Honourable Emperor was beaten when falling at the second last.

Shanahan said, “That’s my first runner over jumps as he was with Dessie Hughes when second over hurdles at Wexford. Dessie had a lot of the work done with him over hurdles.

“He’ll mix it over the summer and will always want a little ease in the ground. They have done a very good job here with the ground. It was a good performance considering he missed one of the early hurdles.”