Solatentif clears the last under Jonathan Burke© Photo Healy Racing
Henry De Bromhead recorded his fifth winner in just over a week as his Solatentif justified odds-on favouritism in the Gowran Park Golf Club Maiden Hurdle.
The five-year-old gelding won a bumper on his debut at Killarney in July of 2014 before finishing second on his debut over flights again at Killarney the following month.
He reverted back to bumper company for his next two runs and finished a well-beaten sixth of eight behind Yorkhill on his last start at the Punchestown Festival.
Sent off the well-backed 4/6 favourite this afternoon he was settled behind the leaders.
He came through to lead before the second last and kept on well under pressure on the run-in to score by three and a quarter lengths. Little Haarth (6/1) finished second under Paul Townend for Des McDonogh while Soteira (20/1) was a further four and a half lengths back in third under Kevin Sexton for Eoin Doyle.
Henry de Bromhead said afterwards: "I've been away for the last week and we've had five winners. My defence is that I've done the ground work! Seriously plenty of credit goes to all the lads who have kept it ticking along and done a great job.
"I was a bit disappointed with him at Punchestown but when you see Sandymount Duke, who he only finished a bit behind, coming out and winning well maybe it was a very good race.
"We'll look for a winners' race now, and he'll probably step up in trip. That looked a competitive maiden."
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
