HARRY Kelly is on course for his best-ever season, and the Fethard trainer recorded his 13th winner of the campaign when State Pension (4/11 favourite) ran out an easy winner of the Gavinlynchracing.com Maiden Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Monday.

The Diamond Boy gelding, ridden by Cian Quirke, went on after the third last in the two-mile heat and had four and a half lengths to spare over Midtown Manhattan.

“I’m delighted for [owners] Alistair (Spittal) and Lorraine, who are over from Scotland today. They have two horses with me,” said Kelly.

“He’s still a big baby, but there is a big engine there and it’s only slowly coming to hand. He’s maturing all the time. He’s still green and he looks at things.

“Fair play to Jim Nolan, who picked out this horse as a foal. He’s a serious judge of a horse.”

Jack the legend

Ridden for the first time by Danny Gilligan and carrying the colours of Canadian-based owner Jules Sigler, Smackwater Jack (10/1) landed the Winter Festival November 28th & 29th Handicap Hurdle over three miles.

The 12-year-old improved to lead travelling well on the approach to the straight and saw off the seven years’ younger Mickey Cohen by half a length.

“He’s a legend of a horse. He comes out happy every single day and is very sound,” said winning trainer Denise ‘Sneezy’ Foster.

“He jumps like a buck and likes to travel. He’s a lovely racehorse to have.

“There is a race coming up in Punchestown and he loves Punchestown, so we’ll try and go there.

Chaser in the making

The second three-mile handicap hurdle was for horses rated 0-100 and Chanceitlucky (15/2) showed great reserves of stamina to win in the hands of Kevin Healy.

By Yorgunnabelucky out of a mare by Mtoto, second to Tony Bin in the 24-runner Arc of 1988, the seven-year-old was prominent throughout and Neil Rawle’s homebred scored by three and three-quarter lengths from Comeonarchie.

“I ran him back too soon at Ballinrobe the last day, he just needs a bit of time between races,” said trainer Adrian Murray.

“He’s a hard horse to get fit, and I never had him as fit as today. He wants good ground, and then they were all pulling out because of the ground. I said I’d take my chance.

“He winged hurdles on it and won well. He’ll definitely go jumping fences next year.”

MYLUCKYMAKER had little difficulty in landing odds of 8/13 in the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction & Median Maiden Hurdle over two miles.

Runner-up in her previous four starts in bumpers, Jimmy Fyffe’s five-year-old made most under Alex Harvey to beat Lilannbee by five lengths.

“I’m relieved, we did fancy her coming here. The money for this series is so good, so it seemed like the right race for her,” said John McConnell.

“I’ve always said to Jimmy that she’d be a better hurdler than a bumper filly. She’ll be better on slower ground, over a longer trip. She’s just very tough and genuine, which is hard to get, especially in fillies.”

Change of luck

In the colours of Saorcha Fitzgerald, Well Bud (10/3) landed the maiden hurdle over two and a half miles in the hands of Jack Kennedy.

Runner-up in a Listowel bumper, the Kingston Hill gelding chased Time For A Run down to the last, where a peck on landing from the latter proved costly as Well Bud went past to score by two and a half lengths.

“I thought he was a little bit unlucky in the bumper at Listowel, he got shuffled back and the winner got first run,” said trainer Eoin McCarthy.

“He’s a lovely horse and you’d be looking forward to going chasing with him next summer.”

WINNING point-to-pointer Princess Aveen (17/2) just got the better of a cracking duel with La Muleta in the Adare Manor Opportunity Mares Maiden Hurdle over two and a half miles.

The pair fought it out for the length of the straight with Alan O’Sullivan’s mount getting up by a short head on the line.

“She came there and looked like she was going to win well, and I thought the runner-up was equally as game,” said Crawford.

“After she came from Ian McCarthy’s in the spring, her owner Gary O’Hagan took her home for the summer. She’s back in since the end of July. She was ready for today, but I do think with a bit of match practice under her belt, she’ll come on again a wee bit.”

Successful as a two-year-old for Joseph O’Brien, Annie’s Angel (9/1) recorded her first win over jumps and first for Ado McGuinness in the two-mile mares’ handicap hurdle.

Owned by Conor O’Connor, Colum Currie and Mark Devenny, the daughter of Dark Angel led between the final two flights and stayed on well to defeat Hashtag Doyen by five and half lengths.

“A huge thanks to Ado and the team for giving me the spin on her,” said winning rider Conor Smithers. “I couldn’t get through to him, it just went straight to voicemail, so I don’t know if he has me blocked or what! Surely, he’ll unblock me after this.

“That’s my 11th winner of the season so far, so things are going great.”