Jack too strong for novice rivals Whatever Jacksays proved too strong for his rivals in the novice hurdle at Listowel as he made all for a cosy success. Robbie Colgan set the pace on the 2/1 favourite and upped the tempo turning the top bend in the two-and-a-half mile contest. Oliver McKiernan's charge had his rivals at work before the second last and the result never looked in doubt from there. The Beneficial gelding gave the last plenty of air and galloped on to an easy five-and-a-half length victory over Too Scoops. The winner, who had faded after racing prominently in the Galway Hurdle last time, was recording his fifth career success. "It's tougher ground out there today than he's ever ran in so we weren't sure how he'd handle it,” said McKiernan afterwards. “I suppose it's the same for them all. He handled it well enough and went about his business okay. “He just jumped his hurdles very high and maybe that was the ground. Normally he flies the top of his hurdles and gains lengths. “Probably because of the deep ground he was just jumping over them rather than flying them. “He may go for a novice hurdle at Tipperary in a fortnights time. He's finished as a novice then so he'll have a break and then we'll look at Christmas for him.” Robbie Colgan has struck up a good partnership with the gelding and added:- “He's a tough little horse and since we changed the tactics and started to make the running with him he loves it out in front – he won't let any horse pass him. “He's been brilliant to me and I'm after winning four on him. “It's very holding boggy ground but he'd gallop away through anything once he's out in front.” (On course reporting by Donal Murphy)
