Martini scores on hurdling debut Rye Martini got off the mark on his first attempt over hurdles as he took the Tipperary Races On Facebook 5yo Maiden Hurdle under Davy Russell for trainer Colm Murphy. The son of Catcher In The Rye won on his sole point-to-point start at Lismore in March of 2011 when trained by Kieran Purcell and he followed up this afternoon on his racecourse debut. After his point-to-point success he then changed hands for £55,000 at the Cheltenham Brightwells April Sale in 2011. Having just his second career start this afternoon, he was always prominent and travelled well throughout. He hit the front before the straight and was ridden to assert and stayed on well on the run-in to score by two and three parts of a length at the odds of 3/1 (drifted from opening show of 7/4 with Paddy Powers this morning). Reafadda finished second for John Ryan and Pa King at 4/1 while Coolmill was further twenty five lengths back in third at 20/1 under Andrew McNamara. The Jimmy Mangan trained Kilcrea was sent off the 5/4 favourite (opened at 2/1 with Paddy Powers this morning) under Paddy Mangan but he began to struggle before the straight and finished a well beaten fourth. Winning trainer Colm Murphy said afterwards: "He is a hell of a big horse and all he will do is improve. He does everything well and he will stay hurdling this season. "I will speak to his owners before making a plan but his bit of class got him through. "Kieran Purcell had him when he won his point-to-point but he has had niggly problems since then." (On-course reporting by Thomas Weekes)
