Urano gets it right on seventh try over hurdles

Urano finally got off the mark over timber as he took the thurles.ie Maiden Hurdle under Ruby Walsh for Willie Mullins.

The French-bred six-year-old son of Enrique won three bumpers in his native land, and he finished second on his first five starts in maiden hurdle company since arriving in Ireland.

He was travelling strongly when he clipped heels and slipped up on his last start over the course and distance in December, and he was sent off the 10/11 favourite to make amends this afternoon.

Settled towards the rear of mid-division in the early stages, the bay six-year-old improved to track the leaders with a circuit left to race.

He travelled strongly in third as they approached the straight for the final time, hitting the front after the second last before stretching clear on the run-in to score easily by nine lengths. Sizing Coal finished second at 5/2 (opened at 11/2 this morning with Paddy Power) under Andrew Lynch for Jim Dreaper, while Fair Funny was a further half a length back in third under John Cullen for Eddie Hales at 10/1.

Willie Mullins said afterwards: "That is the seventh time of asking but obviously the trainer was getting it wrong all the time as he now appears to want a trip.

"We had been making the running with him over two miles but dropping him in over a further trip seems to be the key to him.

"He works like a two mile horse at home but he looked good at that trip today and we now know he stays.

"We were hoping he would do that after his run the last day when we thought that if he got daylight he would have shot clear.

"With the change in tactics we could bring him back to two and a half miles, and at least now he is showing us what he shows on the gallops."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes