O'Brien's Darasso shows class in Fairyhouse victory

Darasso stamped his class on the Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Hurdle at Fairyhouse. With Flame Bearer and Thedevilscoachman both significant non-runners, the admirable Darasso was a 7-2 shot to secure his fifth win at Graded level for trainer Joseph O'Brien and owner JP McManus. Ridden by Luke Dempsey, the blinkered nine-year-old took over the lead from Heaven Help Us early in the home straight before being challenged by the strong-travelling 3-1 favourite Santa Rossa, who was bidding to provide his trainer Dermot McLoughlin with a third winner in two days.

But Darasso refused to bend in front, galloping on strongly from the second-last and pinging the final flight to seal his six-length victory. O'Brien said: "He's a great horse, he turns up every day and runs his race. That's all you can ask for.

"He's a little bit short of Grade One level but all you can ask for is that they do their best and he's a joy to have around. "You can go two miles or three miles in a chase or hurdle and you kind of know what you are going to get with him. It's very unusual for a horse to be like that.

"I'm not sure what's in Punchestown for him. We put him in the Champion Hurdle and he might sneak around there and see what happens, but we'll see how he comes out of today as this was his target." Gordon Elliott's Iberique Du Seuil caused a minor upset in the Donohue Marquees Juvenile Hurdle. Triumph Hurdle fourth Icare Allen was all the rage as the 4-11 favourite, but while he travelled strongly into the straight, his challenge petered out between the final two flights.