Kilcooley made light work of the desperate conditions at Fontwell yesterday to claim the Grade 2 totepool National Spirit Hurdle for Chipping Norton trainer Charlie Longsdon.
The six-year-old, a 3-1 chance, showed real guts in the heavy ground to gamely deny Silsol, the 4-9 favourite, by a length under Noel Fehily.
Kilcooley seems unlikely to run at the Cheltenham Festival, but could be sent to Ireland in pursuit of more big-race riches.
Joint-owner John Wall said: “It doesn’t get better than this, quite frankly.
“Noel said he’s a lot better horse when he’s that little bit fresher.
“We’ve had a wonderful run with him and have had a lot of fun with him.
“I think we’ll probably bypass Cheltenham now, and might even go to Punchestown and have an away-day.”
Latest Sport news
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here