Gambled-on favourite Grinkov hit the bookmakers hard when landing the £100,000 Pierse Hurdle at Leopardstown this afternoon.
Charlie Swan, one of the elder statesmen of the weighing room in Ireland, had ridden in the race (formerly known as the Sweeps Hurdle and then the Ladbroke) every year since 1987 without managing to win it but ended that sequence in style.
Always travelling well, Swan kicked the 11-2 favourite - one of four runners for trainer Pat Hughes - into the lead approaching the final flight and his rivals were unable to get back on terms.
Ricardo (16-1) finished second with sole British hope, the Philip Hobbs-trained Rooster Booster, back in third at 14-1 and Maslarian (10-1) fourth.
