Save My Blushes & Denis Hogan (inside) hold off Rawnaq & Barry Geraghty© Photo Healy Racing
Save My Blushes (13/2 and well-backed himself earlier in the betting shops) foiled the gamble on Rawnaq as he just got up to win the Tullamore Rugby Club Celebration Day Handicap Hurdle for jockey, trainer Denis Hogan.
The Matthew Smith trained Rawnaq was the subject of a major gamble having opened at 4/1 this morning with Paddy Powers he opened on track at just 9/4 before being backed into 7/4 clear favourite at the off.
Poor jumps at the last two flights cost the Barry Geraghty ridden 'jolly' dearly as Save My Blushes kept on best on the inside, hitting the front on the run-in and holding off Rawnaq by a neck at the line. Never A Secret finished a further length and a half back in third for trainer Hugh Finegan at 11/2.
The winner was formerly trained by Paul Flynn and he won three times for him, including the Grade 3 Kilbegnet Novice Chase at Roscommon in September 2010.
Denis Hogan said afterwards: "He's been waiting all year for a little bit of ground and that was just about good enough.
"He needed that run in the straight, which sealed it, plus one or two missed hurdles in the straight.
"He's a previous course and distance winner so we were inclined to come back here.
"It was a good call to take him out at Killarney as the ground went too soft. We drove all the way down and I was a bit annoyed but it was worth it today.
"I've nothing mapped out for him. He's quite highly rated over fences."
The winner is owned by Liam O'Kelly who formerly had Inis Meain with Hogan (now owned by Barry Connell) and had Kalellshan (ill-fated).
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
