His mount contained the challenge of Jazz Messenger (3/1) by four-and-a-half lengths and the six-year-old is now 25/1 with William Hill and 20/1 with Cashmans for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.  McNamars is already engaged to take the mount of favourite Sizing Europe in this race.

Earlier in Kilkenny, McNamara’s Ballistraw (33/1) beat former Gold Cup winner Kicking King (10/11f) into third in the €50,000 Red Mills Chase.

The winner was quietly fancied for the Thyestes Chase last time out but Hickey commented:  “He didn’t act here the last day for some reason.”

“He made a bad mistake at the first fence which might have affected him, but he jumped well today. It was as big a surprise to me to win as it was to you!”
THE Eric McNamara trained Faltering Fullback landed a tasty touch in the Urlingford Maiden Hurdle at Thurles.

Seen as high as 25/1 on one board, he was backed from 14/1 to 7s and did the business n the style of a high-class horse in the making.

“He’s a grand horse, who is very weak but has improved a lot at home,” commented the Rathkeale handler.

“He heeds time and an extra half-mile and will run again in about six weeks in either a winners’ of one or a handicap.”

Faltering Fullback is owned by the CCK Syndicate, comprised of Foynes native Michael Fitzsimons (who owns a pub of the same name in London), and three members of the Curran Family of Askeaton, Sean senior and junior, and Eamon.