Eagles Reign and Tom Harney continue fruitful partnership with gritty victory in Lartigue Hurdle for Ross O'Sullivan

Trainer Ross O'Sullivan continued his excellent campaign when 6-1 chance Eagles Reign held off a late surge from 9-4 favourite Pinot Gris to run out a gritty winner of the 2m Listed Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle under Tom Harney.

Harney had gone close to a big success on the four-year-old in March when he was a gallant runner-up to Lark In The Mornin in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham, very nearly causing an 80-1 shock, but the pair got their big day eventually as the 7lb claimer galvanised him to victory by three-quarters of a length in the €60,000 contest.

After his cracking effort at Cheltenham, Eagles Reign put in a below-par effort at Aintree but returned with a satisfactory spin on the Flat last month which teed him up for a crack at this race.

"The plan has been to come back for this race and we gave him a prep run on the Flat three weeks' ago to open the pipes," said O'Sullivan, whose stable is operating at a remarkable 23 per cent strike-rate over jumps this season.

"It was in the lap of the gods whether he would get his ground or not, as he grows a leg on soft ground. When the rain started yesterday it didn't stop – you couldn't write it better. He ran such a great race at Cheltenham and was a bit flat at Aintree. Tommy [Ward, owner) suggested the Lartigue, and it made sense."

Harney has ridden the winner on all but one of his seven starts over jumps registering two successes and three placed efforts, and O'Sullivan was keen to stress the role he plays in the yard's success.

"Tom is my head lad as much as he rides the horses and his 7lb off is great. You wouldn't get a better worker and he deserves everything he gets."

Hogan's won 

Calum Hogan steered home his first jumps winner when the Eric McNamara-trained Ifitwasme skated in by 12 lengths in the 2m handicap hurdle at odds of 10-1.

Hogan, who has also ridden three winners on the Flat, always cut a confident figure in the saddle on board the handicap debutant.

McNamara said: "He got what we felt was a fair mark over hurdles last year so we've had this race in mind for him for quite a while. Calum works with us full-time and is a good lad with hopefully a promising career in front of him. His father Ray rode the winner of this race many years ago."

Tipp on top

A Tipp For Gold justified 15-8 favouritism in the 2m maiden hurdle, getting off the mark at the sixth attempt for trainer Mags Mullins.

Steered by Danny Mullins, who was the toast of Listowel due to his groovy new haircut, the five-year-old got the job done in straightforward fashion from the front, coming home three and three-quarter lengths clear of newcomer De Temps En Temps.

The winning trainer said: "He is a grand horse and I like him. He had winter form and put in a lovely run last time. He's improving as I felt he wasn't fully there either, and think he will come on again."

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