Underdog sinks Brazil - Cheltenham Festival winner beaten at 2-9 in match race

Thursday: Limerick

The feature race produced a shock when 2-9 shot Brazil was turned over in a match with the Oliver McKiernan-trained No Looking Back, who outfought the two-time Grade 3 winner to win by two and three-quarter lengths.

Brazil made the early running in the Grade 2 Coolmore NH Sires Kew Gardens Hurdle before being headed approaching the last. The victory gave McKiernan and jockey Phillip Enright a double following the earlier success of Difficult Decision and provided McKiernan with his first Grade 2 success since 2015.

"I'm surprised but it's brilliant," Enright said. "He was a bit of an unknown after winning at Thurles. Oliver and the team have always thought lots of him and he proved them right today.

"When I quickened him he picked up over the last, and hopefully he can progress again. He landed running and galloped to the line. Brazil is a fantastic horse. It was cat and mouse and I was lucky that I got the lead. That's racing."

Difficult Decision made all in the 2m 6f handicap chase, with just five of the 16 runners finishing.

Enright said: “He got a nice start and jumped brilliantly all the way. There were a couple of casualties behind and hopefully they’re all fine. Oliver’s horses are in great form and I’m lucky to be getting the leg up on them.”

Home win

Eric and Conor McNamara were still riding high from Real Steel’s Paddy Power Chase success at Leopardstown on Tuesday and they were delighted to pick up a win at their local track courtesy of Alpesh Amin in the maiden hurdle.

“I’d hate to be leaving here after a few days without having a winner,” said Eric McNamara. “We had two great chances here earlier in the week and they both ended up on the floor.”

Bob's the answer

Brazil's defeat may have come as a shock but jockey Mark Walsh and owner JP McManus were on the scoresheet when 6-5 favourite Sir Bob recorded a second consecutive win in the opening veterans handicap chase, having previously gone 0-16 over fences.

“It’s brilliant to get another win out of him,” said trainer Robert Tyner. “He's been over fences for a long time without winning and he has two now. We’re in real bonus territory.”

Marelly strikes

Marelly and Richie Deegan landed the novice hurdle run in memory of Andrew McNamara to give trainer Eoin Christopher McCarthy his third win of the week.

“That was ideal for him”, McCarthy said. “We have a lovely bunch of horses at the moment and we’re very lucky that a lot of them love this ground.”

He's the Boy

There was a big gamble landed in the maiden hurdle, in which the Mark Molloy-trained Go Boy was backed into 7-1 (from 50) before scoring on his hurdling debut.

Results, replays and analysis

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