100-1 winner Department Of War proves a bargain buy for Dunne

Punters who decided not to brave the cold and ignore the action at Down Royal could have saved themselves from backing some losers as the card was topped and tailed with a 100-1 and 66-1 winner, with a couple of other fancy-priced winners in between.

The three-figure scorer in the opening maiden hurdle was the ex-Richard Hannon-trained Department Of War under Kevin Brouder. His victory was aided by a bad mistake at the last from narrow leader at the time Port Stanley, but the way the outsider galloped to the line might have made him hard to beat in any case.

It was a first winner in nearly two years for trainer David Dunne, brother of jump jockey Robbie, who trains near Fairyhouse and described the almost accidental nature of how he came across the son of Declaration Of War. He said: “I saw him at the July sales, he was still a colt at the time and was just a gorgeous horse, absolutely gleaming. I looked at the page and wondered what was wrong with him, he was going so cheap. I could see there was a bit of filling in his leg but I just took a chance.”