Irish Blaze alongside Hemlock at the last© Photo Healy Racing
Irish Blaze was driven home by Jack Kennedy after a battle on the run-in with Hemlock in the opening maiden hurdle at Navan.
The six-year-old gelding was third reserve for this contest but got a run and went off 9/1 on track debut after dead-heating for first in a Knockmullen House point-to-point in November when in the care of Robert McCabe.
He made good headway after three out to close on Hemlock at the next flight and the pair raced on from the field approaching the last.
They jumped the last in unison and battled throughout the long run-in before Irish Blaze got the better of the argument in the final 100 yards. He went on by a length and a quarter from the 9/4 runner-up. Music Of Tara the 6/4 favourite, kept on nicely for third without troubling the leaders. She was beaten five and a quarter lengths by the victor.
“It's a bunch of local people that own him and we bought him at Cheltenham sales cheap enough for 20 grand,” said Gordon Elliott.
“We took a chance with him as we thought he might like better ground. It's great that he won and they'll get a bit of craic out of it.
“He'll run away all summer and they'll have a bit of craic with him. All he'll do is stay.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
