Minella Foru clears the last under Mark Walsh© Photo Healy Racing
Minella Foru ran out a facile winner of the Follow Limerick On Facebook Beginners Chase scoring under Mark Walsh for Eddie Harty and owner JP McManus.
A classy individual over flights the son of King's Theatre had been disappointing over fences to date and he was a well-beaten fifth on his handicap debut at the Punchestown Festival.
Back in novice company today he was available at 13/8 last night with Paddy Powers, opening on-course at 8/13 before going off the clear 4/6 favourite.
Settled in fifth he improved into second three out and hit the front before the next, keeping on well on the run-in to score easily by nine and a half lengths. Courtncatcher finished second at 8/1 under Andrew McNamara for Patrick Duffy while Stonehall Jack (4/1) was a further six lengths back in third under Sean Flanagan for Davy Fitzgerald.
Eddie Harty said afterwards: "That was a bit overdue but was nice. It was a close call to run him (due to the drying ground) but credit where it's due to the racecourse as they have done a fantastic job with the track.
"Myself and Frank (Berry, owner J.P.McManus' racing manager) walked the track and if our race had been on the hurdle track, he wouldn't have run. You could actually hear the difference in the tracks as the horses galloped on them."
"He jumped lovely and straight and Mark did the right thing by taking a lead for as long as possible. We'll go for a winners' of one somewhere."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
