Raglan Road secured a hard-fought victory on his debut in handicaps when clinching his first win at Naas earlier today.
The gelding, trained by Henry de Bromhead, made a decisive move to challenge Kilbree Warrior for the lead after the penultimate jump in the two-mile-three handicap hurdle. Despite a spirited effort by Kilbree Warrior, Raglan Road managed to edge past her.
Leading from the final flight, the son of Soldier Of Fortune, owned by JP McManus, had to show resilience under Rachael Blackmore's guidance to keep the rallying mare at bay by a narrow margin. Frank Berry, the racing manager, commented on the 11/2 victor, saying,
"It was a solid performance. The runner-up put up a tough fight."
Berry further added,
"It took him some time to get his jumping right, but he's improving. For now, we'll continue to target races of a similar nature. He showed promise in maiden races but struggled a bit in Gowran, possibly due to the heavy ground."
Reflecting on the race, Berry praised Blackmore for delivering a stellar ride and highlighted Raglan Road's determination to fend off the persistent challenger. "He proved difficult to overtake the leader; Kilbree Warrior is a formidable competitor when in form," Berry concluded.