Walk In The Park Gelding Lands First Win Over Hurdles

Walks In June (5g Walk In The Park - Lady Inchiquin, by Stowaway) defied an absence to get off the mark over hurdles at Limerick on Sunday.

The gelding had run out a four-length winner of his point-to-point at Dawstown last year for Colin Bowe and he was making just his third start for Henry de Bromhead and his first over hurdles this time.

Ridden by Darragh O'Keeffe, Walks In June was positioned prominently and was asked to close from two hurdles out. The pair duly came clear after the last to win by two-and-three-quarter lengths. Torps (by Mahler) finished second.

De Bromhead said: "He's a nice horse who was very raw. He ran very well in a bumper at Leopardstown last Christmas and was disappointing at Fairyhouse. We liked him at home and Darragh said he'd come on plenty.

"He's a big jumping horse and is coming at the right time now for this job. We'll dip into a novice now and see where he's at. The dream is still alive and he will come on plenty from today and a step up in trip will also suit.

"There haven't been many schooling races run, with the ground being so good, so often ours would go for schooling hurdles but a few, including him, hadn't. With these extra runs you need nowadays [to qualify for certain races] we are probably starting him a bit sooner, so I'm delighted with him."

Walks In June was bred by Sean Harnedy.