Desert Cave spreadeagles the field© Photo Healy Racing
The second split of the Belvedere House & Gardens Opportunity Handicap Hurdle saw the 9/2 favourite Desert Cave rout his rivals under John Shinnick.
Fifth over 2m1f on his recent handicap debut at Wexford, Harry Gettings' six-year-old led after three out and went right away on the approach to the last to slam Cloughroe by a whopping 26 lengths.
Declan Queally, assistant trainer to his father and namesake, said: “That was mighty and I’m delighted for Harry who is a great supporter of ours.
“He’s a horse that won a four-year-old (point-to-point) and had a couple of niggly problems so Harry threw him out into a field for a year.
“He’s relished a step up in trip and better ground. I suppose he’ll get a good hike in the handicap for that, but it was a very weak race.
“I thought he was a bit of a monkey when he was running in winners’ races and he got beat in two winners. He went today but maybe not every day!”
Quotes from Alan Magee
