Fox Fearless and Barry Browne (centre) win from Lunastar (noseband) and Ballycaines© Photo Healy Racing
Dundalk form came to the fore on the good to yielding surface in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle as Fox Fearless (28/1), ridden by Barry Browne, came out on top in a thrilling finish. Ballycaines (14/1), placed in his last three starts on the polytrack, was collared after the last as the winner, runner-up over six furlongs on his penultimate start at Dundalk, finished with a rattle to lead close home and hold the late thrust of Lunastar (8/1), another who has been in action on the all-weather of late. In the end Ballycaines was third a place ahead of the 13/8 favourite One Cool Poet
Placed several times on the level in Britain where he had been a £160,000 yearling purchase by King Power Racing, the winning Camelot gelding was sold out of Karl Burke’s yard for £13,000 last October.
Winning trainer Oliver McKiernan said: "We gave him a few runs on the Flat and I made a mistake and put him in the wrong race at Dundalk one night, a six furlong race, and he finished second in it. It surprised everybody.
“We were schooling him over hurdles at home and we said the ground would be good at Leopardstown and we'd have a go here and see what happens.
“I'm delighted and Barry gave him a grand ride, he knows him of course and does all the schooling.
“It was just a matter of getting him here today and see how he goes so I've no plans. I didn't really think he'd be able to win that as it was competitive enough but we're happy.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
