Brave Kylecrue scores again as Ryan considers Cheltenham bid

One thing distinctive about horses trained at Fairyhill by John Ryan is their toughness, and no horse embodies this more than Kylecrue. He showed it in spades once again with a battling victory in the feature handicap hurdle on the first day of the bank holiday meeting.

Point and steer this ten-year-old and he will gallop and find all day for you. Claimer Conor Brassil knew the drill and the veteran kept finding from the front to beat eight rivals, most of whom travelled better in the race.

However, as many horses have found in the past to their cost, getting by this tremendously tough son of Gold Well is an entirely different matter.