On his 75th career start, Eagle's Pass recorded his first victory over fences on his handicap debut, in the penultimate race on the card at Killarney this evening, the Mike Cronin Readymix Ltd, Handicap Chase.
The seven time winner before today, had not won a race since May of 2009 all of thirty runs back. However at just 9/2 plenty of punters fancied him to overcome that statistic under Barry Geraghty.
He chased the leaders early on and improved to challenge before being slightly impeded three fences from home. He took up the running before the next and stayed on well under pressure to assert on the run-in, beating Good Decision (4/1) by three lengths at the line.
Francis Du Mensil, who has failed to score since September 2009, fifteen runs back, was sent off the 7/2 favourite and he finished a further five lengths back in third under Davy Russell.
Winning trainer Thomond O'Mara said afterwards: "His owners (the O'Dowd-Kelleher Syndicate) are from Killarney but are now based in New York.
"He has been a model of consistency and will go for a Handicap Chase at Galway or the Galway Hurdle next.
"He will need a few horses to come out to get into the Hurdle."
Donal Murphy
