2 up at the Festival for de Bromhead Shamar is becoming a bit of a friend to the bookmakers and with maybe the good (yielding in places) surface playing against him the French-bred was over-turned at odds of 2/7 by Lord Ben in the Tote Jackpot Race 3 To 6 Hurdle at Tramore. Andrew Lynch got some great leaps from the front on Lord Ben in this four runner two miler. However when he wasn't as good at the last two the door appeared slightly ajar for Shamar. If you were on the 'jolly' though you were concerned from before the penultimate flight as Ruby Walsh got to work on Willie Mullin's 'shortie.' In the end Lord Ben stayed on well from the back of the last to prevail by two and three parts of a length with five and a half and six lengths back to King High and Venture Lazarus. Henry de Bromhead said of Lord Ben (fourth here on Thursday night behind Toner D'Oudairies): "I'm delighted for the owners (John and Joan Davis) who are local. "That's his third win now and he was really good. "He's still a novice over fences. He might go to Listowel but we’ll see. The better the ground the better he is. "He got a super ride from Andrew there. He just didn't seem to get home the other day (over 2m 6f). He's so honest – as honest as the day is long." (DM & EM)
