Split The Bucket opens his account under rules

Split The Bucket overcame an absence of nearly 14 months to take the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle at Limerick.

The Robert Tyner-trained gelding won a point-to-point at Curraghmore in October 2020 but has not been seen since filling the runner-up spot just ten days later in a Fairyhouse bumper.

The 4/1 chance travelled well to head the front-running Mahler Mission after the penultimate flight, and was ridden out by Mark Walsh to go clear of that rival in the closing stages to score by six and a half lengths. Ernie McCracken kept on one paced to finish another eight and a half lengths away in third.

Tyner, who went on to complete a treble later in the day, said “We always liked him a lot but he just had a lot of little problems, nothing major.

“I nearly had him ready to run a few times last spring and the horses just weren’t right. He also had a couple of hold ups this year.

“He won his point-to-point and I ran him back too soon in a bumper. He has a nice way about him.”