Eagle Lion© Photo Healy Racing
Philip Reynolds' patronage of all trainers great and 'small' is a refreshing aspect to Irish national hunt racing and his alliance with Galway based handler Pat Kelly yielded another winner at Punchestown today, as the pair won the Toals.com Casino E500 Bonus Maiden Hurdle with Eagle Lion
Ridden by Davy Russell, eight year old Eagle Lion readily justified 11/10 favouritism when scoring a six lengths win over Stoneford to gain his first career win on just his third start.
Kelly, who won the past two renewals of the Pertemps Hurdle at Cheltenham with Reynolds-owned runners, later commented “we'll see where we go now - I was hoping he would win today.
“We might bring him back here on February 11 for a three-mile handicap hurdle - it depends on what way the handicapper rates him.”
Owner Reynolds has run horses from seven different yards this season, including leading trainers Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott, and his alliance with Kelly yielded Thursday's Galmoy Hurdle winner Presenting Percy, who is again Cheltenham-bound following last March's heroics in the Pertemps Hurdle.
Quotes from Gary Carson
