Cask Mate clears the last under Sean Flanagan© Photo Healy Racing
Cask Mate overcame a lengthy layoff, as he ran out an easy winner of the second at Limerick, the Patrickswell Maiden Hurdle, providing his rider Sean Flanagan with a quick double.
A winner of a bumper at Ballinrobe, the Noel Meade trained gelding finished second on his next four starts over flights, the last of which came at Leopardstown on St Stephen's Day of 2017.
Despite that spell on the sidelines, the son of Kalanisi came in for plenty of market support this afternoon and was returned a 5/2 chance, having been available at 8s in early shows for this two mile contest.
Settled behind the leaders, he made smooth headway from three out and led at the next.
A fluent jump at the last sealed the deal for the High Spirits Racing Club owned gelding, as he stretched clear on the run-in, coming home four and a half lengths to the good. Frontal Assault (6/4fav) finished second under Luke Dempsey for Gordon Elliott, while Double Jemmy (11/2) was a length back in third with Adam Short aboard for Tony Martin.
Flanagan, who claimed the opener on Formal Order said: "His winter form is rock solid and he has bumped into a lot of nice horses along the way. It is amazing that he is still a maiden but he has had plenty of little problems.
"He has gone and done what he was entitled to do and he is a very smart type of horse who has loads of speed. We didn't go quick early and I suppose the race was really run to suit us as I was able to use that turn of foot but he has gone and jumped and galloped well to the line."
STEWARDS REPORT
D.F. O'Regan, rider of Union Park (FR) trained by P.J. Rothwell, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount briefly lost its action turning for home.
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
