Pinkerton and Donagh Meyler© Photo Healy Racing
The Noel Meade trained Pinkerton landed one of the biggest prizes of the festival when keeping on strongly close home under Donagh Meyler to claim the Grade 3 Tote Galway Plate Handicap Chase.
Having won his last two starts over two-miles, the gelding was stepping up markedly in trip here but never gave his supporters too many anxious moments until getting into a battle inside the last couple of hundred yards.
Jumping and travelling nicely in mid division throughout, Meyler moved closer in fourth after three out, as last years first and second, Ash Tree Meadow and Authorized Art disputed up front.
With the latter pair coming under pressure early in the straight, Meyler came wide on Pinkerton to bag the stands rail and lead over a furlong from the finish.
The Gordon Elliott trained duo Zanahiyr and Duffle Coat threw down strong challenges inside the last 200 yards but Pinkerton dispelled any stamina doubts to keep on strongly to win by half-a-length.
Winning jockey Donagh Meyler said: "It's definitely special to win it again(Lord Scoundrel 2016). He done everything right, travelled and jumped amazing. He was deadly everywhere, made life a lot easier for myself.
"He is a super jumper, a handy little horse but with bags of scope."
Winning trainer Noel Meade: “It’s a huge race. The big races here are huge and this is one of the biggest ones.
“I thought I wasn’t going to get it and then Road To Riches popped up (in 2014).
“After this fella won in Punchestown we said we’d wait for here.
“We gave him a little break and he’s been doing everything right. We brought him to Killarney but didn’t run him as we thought the ground was too quick.
“We just let him have an away day at the Curragh and he was in great form.
“Donagh was very good on him. I was trying to get Sam (Ewing) off Gordon but he said we might be great friends but this is war!
“I have always had great time for Donagh. He’s a super horseman, beautiful hands and the horse jumped great for him.
“He was afraid he was going to get there too soon he was going that well.
“He’s been running over two miles and we weren’t sure whether he would stay.”
Additional reporting by Alan Magee.
