A 876 day absence from racecourse action proved no barrier to success for Uradel as he just touched off Monarch in the John B. Keane (C & G) Maiden Hurdle at Listowel.

Owned by Luke McMahon and trained by Willie Mullins, the Ruby Walsh-ridden Uradel was a 12/1 chance for this assignment. Black Key was the one for money and he went off the 7/4 favourite.

However Monarch took his measure and looked likely to be on his way to victory before the final flight.

Uradel stormed up the run-in though to get there on the line for a nose victory.

Walsh later, tongue-in-cheek, quipped "Luke (McMahon, winning owner) is a big race owner now and is so used to winning Grade 2s and Grade 1s in Punchestown, and had a winner at Tramore the other night, that he is getting so used to winning that he didn't bother coming today!"

He added: "The drier ground helped him. We thought he'd win a maiden hurdle a couple of years ago but couldn't on heavy ground. He must have got hurt because he's off a long time but he had loads of experience and had Willie Mullins training him!"

S.W. Flanagan, rider of Fort Montagu (FR) trained by John W. Nicholson, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount hung badly in the closing stages.

(TW & EM)