The Great Nudie and Sean Flanagan © Photo Healy Racing
Point-to-point winner The Great Nudie made a successful start over hurdles when taking the 2m5f New Years Day Discount Tickets Online Mares Maiden Hurdle at Tramore.
The Colin Bowe-trained four-year-old, supported from 12/1 into 8/1, reeled in the front-running 7/4 favourite Sainte Tartare over a furlong out and kept on well to beat that rival by three-quarters of a length.
The pair pulled 15 lengths clear of Slotty Dotty in third.
The final two hurdles were omitted due to the low lying sun so just six hurdles were jumped in total over nearly three circuits of the track.
Winning rider Sean Flanagan said, “I’m delighted to ride a winner for Leo (McArdle) as we go back a long way and also for Colin who I worked for back in the day.
“She jumps really well, and I think she’d have won easier with the last two hurdles in. She’s hardy and handled the ground.
“She stays well and has done it well in the end. As soon as I met the rising ground, I was confident enough.
“She was a good winner of her point-to-point (at Ballingarry) by 18 lengths and I’d say there is plenty more to come from her.”
