Wajaaha justifies good support at Kilbeggan

Wajaaha justified strong support when successful reverting from the Flat to take the Kilbegganraces.com Novice Hurdle.

The Charles Byrnes-trained gelding was recording his third win this year having won handicaps over hurdles at Leopardstown and on the Flat at Limerick.

The dual-purpose five-year-old was backed just before the off from 12/1 into half those odds and benefitted from a patient ride by Kevin Brouder.

The well-bred son of New Approach led approaching the last and stretched clear in good style to score by ten lengths.

Whirling Dervish kept on into second on the run-in, with Alabaster a further three and three quarter lengths away in third.

The 4/5 favourite Ngolo dropped away tamely from the penultimate flight and was pulled up before the last.

Brouder said, “I was always saving, saving, saving as they went real hard up front on that ground. There was no way they were going to get home. It’s holding ground.

“It’s nice to sit on these type of horses. He jumped and travelled like the best horse.”