Tidy Zag was the surprise 16/1 winner of the two and a half mile novice handicap hurdle in Cork.

Since winning a bumper almost two years ago, the eight-year-old in the first-time hood and tongue-strap combination has been largely out of form and hasn’t been placed since.

Today though, with Andrew McNamara on board for the first time, he came through the field and picked up the running with three obstacles to jump.

Despite a mistake at the last, he was clear and the nearest pursuer – Sterling Stuff – fell there and badly impeded Drive On Locky (9/2f from 10/1 in the morning). This enabled Provincial Pride (7s from 20s in the morning) to get up and pip Drive On Locky for second by half a length.

Flat jockey Billy Lee in a rare outing in a hurdle race grabbed fourth on Pairc Na Leasa at 15/2, having stayed on from mid-division.

Ray Hackett said: “He won his bumper [for James Grace at Thurles in December 2011], but he’s had a lot of problems since. He’s very hard to keep right and when you think you have him something goes wrong.

“I’ve had him since I got my licence 18 months ago. That’s my third winner and I have four in training. We’ll see how he is, he’s in at Tramore on Thursday.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes