Search For Glory toughed out victory in the Singletons Supervalu Stayers Novice Hurdle at Cork, completing a treble on the card for jockey Jack Kennedy.
A field of five runners went to post for Grade Three contest, and all of them were still in with some sort of a chance rounding the home turn.
With the strong-travelling Mahon’s Way checking out quickly under pressure, and What Path also faltering in the latter stages of the three-mile contest, it was course and distance winner Solitary Man who threw down the biggest challenge to Gordon Elliott’s 7/4 favourite.
But in truth, Search For Glory was already winning the argument on the approach to the final flight and he asserted on the run-in to score by three lengths.
“He stays well, jumped and travelled great and is a progressive horse. He is a staying horse and hopefully he keeps going the right way now,” said Kennedy.
The in-form rider, fresh from a double at Navan on Saturday, had earlier won the first two races aboard Joseph O’Brien’s Harsh and the Elliott-trained No Time To Wait respectively.
Having finished third on his jumping debut at Punchestown a fortnight ago, Harsh justified cramped odds of 2/5 with an eight-length success in the Bar One Racing ‘Bet 10 Euros Get 50 Euros Sign Up Offer’ 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle.
No Time To Wait was a 3/1 winner of the Bar One Racing ‘Guaranteed Multiples All Shops’ Maiden Hurdle, with 4/6 shot Western Diego disappointing in fifth.
Of Harsh, Kennedy said: “His last jump was his best and it took him a while to warm into it. Some horses don’t really take to those rubber hurdles but he is a nice horse.
“He is learning away the whole time and it was probably a good race he finished third in at Punchestown. It was nice to get today done.”
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Cafe Con Leche was a 40/1 winner of the Bar One Racing “Guaranteed Overnight Prices” Handicap Hurdle for trainer Charles Byrnes and owner-rider Anthony Bustin.
Byrnes said: “I’m delighted for Anthony who works for me and he claimed the horse.
“I recommended him for €10,000 as he was looking for a horse to ride and I thought this fella would give him plenty of fun.”
The concluding Greenvalley Transport Novice Handicap Hurdle went the way of the John McConnell-trained West Away (10/1), ridden by Ben Harvey.
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