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Donal Murphy

Donal Murphy

Well-backed Call wins easily

Sun 3rd Apr 2016, 14:28

Hard To Call jumps the last under Jack KennedyHard To Call jumps the last under Jack Kennedy
© Photo Healy Racing

The well-backed Hard To Call ran out a very easy winner of the opener at Limerick, the Martinstown Opportunity Maiden Hurdle.

A winner of a point-to-point for Ronnie O'Leary at Horse And Jockey in March of last year, the son of Presenting finished fourth to Haymount on his racecourse debut at Gowran last month.

Available at 11/4 last night, the Gordon Elliott trained six-year-old touched 2/1 on-course before going off the clear 6/4 favourite in the colours of race sponsor JP McManus.

Settled behind the leaders by Jack Kennedy he was fourth with a circuit to race.

He got the perfect run through on the inner approaching two out and he hit the front before that flight where he made a mistake.

He stretched clear on the run to the last, going on to score easily by eleven lengths. Henry Howard (10/1) ran on to take second under Paul Townend for Willie Mullins, while Summerhill Lewis who was as short as 4/5 last night, was two lengths back in third under Jonathan Moore for Paul Nolan at 2/1.

Gordon Elliott said afterwards: "It wasn't the strongest race but he'll be a nice horse in time and I imagine he'll go chasing next season.

"He improved a good bit from his last run and the further he goes the better he'll be."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes

About Donal Murphy
Donal graduated from Maynooth University in 2010 with a BBS in Equine Business and since attained a diploma in Sports Journalism from Dublin Business School. He holds a variety of roles in the horse racing industry, reporting for the Press Association and p2p.ie, while also working for SIS and the Tote. From Wexford, he is a keen runner and has completed over 100 parkruns at various locations around the country.