Rauzan and Hugh Morgan. © Photo Healy Racing
Despite being sent off a relative outsider at 22/1, the Eoin Doyle trained Rauzan defied those odds when keeping on strongly to again a first career success in the Dunmore East Handicap Hurdle at Tramore.
Having only shown a slight hint of ability for previous connections, more often than not, when the ground was on the quicker side, the Australia gelding produced a career best performance here.
Undoubtedly better suited to these underfoot conditions to those he had been racing on of late, the four-year-old came through on the inside rail to lead approaching two out.
Holding all comers on the uphill climb to the final flight, Rauzan showed real determination under Hugh Morgan to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths.
Eoin Doyle said: "I bought him off Mick Halford. He was running over the winter on heavy ground. He had a nice run in a maiden hurdle at Gowran one day but he just wasn't in love with that heavy ground. We ran him here the last day and he just never seemed to travel over two miles.
"Mick was running him over a mile-and-five to a mile-and-six on the flat and I'd say he just needs to get into his comfort zone. He picked up well tonight and I'd say he will come on again for the run.
"He is handicapped on the flat as well, so he could run over two miles on the flat. Hugh gave him a good ride and it's grand to get a winner out here. We'll see what the handicapper does now."
Additional reporting by Donal Murphy.
