Foxrock and Katie Walsh© Photo Healy Racing
Katie Walsh won the Tetratema Cup Hunters Chase at Gowran for the second year in succession when Foxrock justified odds of 1/6.
Owner Barry Connell took this prestigious old prize when Viking Splash landed the spoils for 'Shark' Hanlon and Brian Hayes back in 2011.
In Foxrock Connell has a durable and reliable servant and Walsh rode him here like the class horse of the race that he was.
She shook him up to assert from the front in the straight.
The top point-to-point mare Maple Mons ran well but she was held when making a mistake at the last and thirteen lengths split them at the line.
Winning trainer Ted Walsh explained: "More than likely he will go for the Irish or English National next.
"Fairyhouse would look the more obvious as its only over the road and he's four pound better off but if it was going to be a very dry April then Barry (Connell, owner) might be tempted to run in Liverpool. At this stage it looks more like Fairyhouse.
"No horse likes that ground. It's bottomless. He goes through it but he does nothing, and is only lobbing along in front. They all thought that Enda's horse (On The Fringe) was going to beat him in Leopardstown but when you join him he finds more. That's the way he does things, and I wouldn't mind a few more like him."
(AM & EM)
