Age Of Glory & Paul Townend jump a hurdle on their way to victory in the opener at Killarney© Photo Healy Racing
The opening race at the Killarney May Festival, the Irish Injured Jockeys Fundraising Concert Tonight 4yo Maiden Hurdle, went to the Darren Bunyan trained Age Of Glory
The son of Zamindar ran a cracker on his hurdling debut at Tramore last time out just failing by a head to Busted Tycoon.
Prominent throughout this afternoon, he looked in trouble before the straight as Sizing Silver and Passagere travelled strongly in front.
The winner responded well to pressure from his rider Paul Townend and he jumped the third last alongside Sizing Silver.
He hit the front before the second last and he kept on well from there to score by a length and a half lengths at the odds of 7/2.
The Eoin Doyle trained Star For Life kept on well to take second at 8/1 under Robbie Moran while the 5/2 favourite (was 5/1 this morning and was backed from 3/1 on track) Welsh Nayber was a head back in third under David Crosse for Brendan Duke.
Darren Bunyan said afterwards: "That's my first winner over jumps and only my second runner.
"He did well to win today for a horse that doesn’t handle that ground. I walked the track and it was in the balance whether I would run him or not, but I decided to let him take his chance.
"He has a big engine and I think he has a future over hurdles and he will make a nice chaser. We will see what the handicapper does with him now."
Age Of Glory won the Cheltenham charity race at the Festival this year under his owner Brian Bunyan (brother to winning trainer Darren).
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
