Farouk D'alene just held off the late thrust of Vanillier in a war of attrition for the Lyons Of Limerick Jaguar Land Rover Novice Hurdle at Limerick.
The race was transferred from Sunday’s card — which was abandoned because of waterlogging — and while the going was still extremely deep, it was at least raceable.
It nonetheless made the two-mile-seven-furlong trip an extreme test for a field of novices who did not have that much experience to call upon.
Gordon Elliott’s Farouk D’alene took over from Costalotmore with a mile to run and appeared to have everything in hand under Jody McGarvey.
But turning into the straight, Darrens Hope looked a big threat before her stamina ran out between the last two.
It was left to Vanillier, who had been ridden patiently by Conor Maxwell, to keep the 2-1 favourite up to his work after the last — having lost a bit of momentum with a slow jump — but he was able to hold on by three-quarters of a length.
The winner was left unchanged at 33-1 by Betfair for the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham in March.
McGarvey said: “It is very tough work out there and it takes a lot of getting.
“It was my first time riding him — and he was super tough, jumped and travelled beautifully. He dug deep up the straight when I needed him and ground it out well to the line.
“I was confident he’d stay, but we went a nice enough gallop for the ground and it was going to be hard work — (so) thankfully I was able to save enough before the turn-in to get me home.”
McGarvey had earlier teamed up with Willie Mullins to win the Future Ticketing Maiden Hurdle on Ciel De Neige, runner-up in the Betfair Hurdle last season at Newbury.
After the favourite’s two-and-a-quarter-length success, at the prohibitive odds of 1-8, Mullins said: “He eventually got his head in front. He did what he was asked to do.
“He’s just a horse that makes life hard on himself. Hopefully he can go on now and progress from that.”
