Baracas takes the opener Gentleman Jeff (evens favourite) was all the rage for the opening Jockeys Association Maiden Hurdle but the Dermot Weld bandwagon was brought to a temporary halt by the Eoin Griffin-trained Baracas. Eddie O'Connell produced the 5/1 second favourite to lead going to the last, and drew clear on the run-in to beat the market leader by four lengths. Griffin was enjoying his second winner of the week having sent out Admiral Barry to land the featured amateur riders handicap on the opening night. “I thought a lot of this horse from an early stage but he's just a little bit quirky and can be quite keen. When the penny does drop he could be a nice horse. The ground was right for him today, and he'll stick to hurdles for the time being,” said Griffin.
