Win Some Lose Some brings home the Clonmel cash

Win Some Lose Some stayed on best to catch Old Bill Barley in the final strides of the Rathgormack Handicap Hurdle in Clonmel.

The five-year-old gelding made headway in fourth entering the straight and improved by a place in jumping the penultimate obstacle.

He wasn't fully fluent there, but Mark Walsh soon had him in a threatening position at the last. Walsh switched him out on the run-in and his partner really surged home in the closing stages to pick up Old Bill Barley.

The 10/3 favourite won by three-quarters of a length from the 9/2 runner-up. Karacole (13/2) was a length and three-parts away in third.

Padraig Roche said: "Mark gave him a great ride, was happy with him, and the horse is still learning a bit although he got going in time.

"Nothing came to light after his run in Listowel so we were drawing a line through it and he has bounced back today, so we're delighted.

"He is out of a daughter of Like A Butterfly, which has been a great family for us."

The Raceday Stewards received a report from the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board Starter, Mr. J.R. Banahan, that K. Callaghan, rider of Old Bill Barley and P.K. Donovan, rider of Zolpharine approached the start at a canter before the flag was dropped. Evidence was heard from the riders concerned. K. Callaghan accepted that he may have broke into canter a fraction too soon. P.K. Donovan also accepted that he reacted to the horse inside him and broke into a canter before the flag was dropped. Having viewed the recording of the incident and considered the evidence, the Raceday Stewards found K. Callaghan and P.K. Donovan were in breach of R.208 and in considering their clean records in this regard they suspended them for one raceday.

Additional reporting by Tom Weekes