Earls takes opener on his hurdling debut Earls Quarter made a successful debut over hurdles as he ran out a comfortable winner of the opener at Sligo this evening, the jogforjockeys.ie Maiden Hurdle, for his trainer Willie Mullins, with Paul Townend aboard. The winning son of Shantou never settled as the field went no gallop. Acclaimed Piper lead the field into the straight for the final time, but Paul Townend was travelling best in behind and he produced his mount to lead away for the last, asserting on the run-in. Sent off the 2/1 favourite, the winning 5yo, had one win to his name before today, that coming in a bumper at Roscommon last August. On his debut in April of last year he finished third in the Goffs Land Rover Bumper behind Divine Rhapsody. However he was a bit disappointing on his last two starts, pulling up at Tipperary last October, before finishing fourth on his last start at Cork. Acclaimed Piper at 14/1 kept going to take second, three lengths back, while Esporao at 5/2 finished a further five lengths back in third. Winning co-owner Brendan Doyle said afterwards: "Jock O’Connor, who co-owns this fellow with me, stands his sire Shantou in Ballylinch Stud. "The form of his Roscommon bumper win never really worked out, but he was third in the Goffs Land Rover Bumper. "Paul (Townend) said that he has a fantastic technique to jump. "He is a chaser in the making but he will go for a winners of one next." Donal Murphy
