Ted Veale is ridden out by Ruby Walsh to beat The Game Changer© Photo Healy Racing
Ted Veale recorded his first win over flights since taking the County Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2013, as he justified odds-on favouritism in the SF Engineering Consulting Hurdle.
The Tony Martin trained son of Revoque has won on the level and over fences since that Prestbury Park triumph, and he was sent off at 10/11 today after finishing second on his comeback run at Galway last week.
Settled in third by Ruby Walsh, he took closer order before two out and hit the front shortly after that flight.
He came under pressure on the run-in, and needed to be ridden out to see off the effort of The Game Changer by a length and a quarter.
The runner-up was returned at 5/2 under Bryan Cooper for Gordon Elliott.
John Breslin owns the successful ten-year-old, and the winning rider said afterwards: "It was a great run at Galway and he built on it.
"Tony (Martin) thought the track would suit him maybe better than The Game Changer.
"He said then not to be hanging around, I'd say he was right - stamina probably won it for him.
"It's down to the trainer's judgement - not mine."
Additional reporting by Eamonn Murphy
