Tornado sweeps to Grade 2 victory at Limerick

Dancing Tornado was on the top of his game when winning the feature at Limerick on St Stephen’s Day, the Grade 2, Guinness Greenmount Park Novice Chase over 2m 3f.

The JP McManus owned, Michael Hourigan trained 8yo, won on his chasing debut at Wexford in late October over 2m 1f, before finishing a creditable second behind Osana at Navan early this month over the same distance.

Today he stepped up in trip by two furlongs and it helped his cause as he was ridden into the lead before the last, asserting on the run in under David Casey to score by four lengths at 10/3 from the 5/1 shot River Liane

The field for the race had been seriously decimated with the expected favourite Sports Line pulled out while other fancied horses Sam Adams, Mr Warbucks and Swift Counsel were also non-runners, which left just a field of seven going to post.

The 9/4fav Coolcashin was the disappointment of the race pulling up before the last when out of contention.