Ocean Bright a promising third at Gowran Park last month, made all under Conor Maxwell to take the opening McCarthy Insurance Group Mares Handicap Hurdle in fine style at Cork.
The two and a half mile event proved quite incident-packed with strong 7/4 favourite By The Hour one of a number of casualties as she slipping up when tracking the leaders around halfway.
Ocean Bright (11/1) asserted approaching the second last and was soon in command, with the six-year-old grey eased down in the closing stages by Maxwell to beat Norah Starr (6/1) by a comfortable two and a quarter lengths. Sherika (16/1) was third. Evesham Star Seenya and Play The Wing were all fallers, while Beabus House was brought down.
Winning trainer Dermot McLoughlin said, “She's a tough filly who grinds it out. She may jump a fence in time but we'll see what the handicapper does now.”
