Jesse Evans delivers for Cork owners Tomás and Jack Singleton
Jesse Evans and Donagh Meyler win the McHale Pro Glide Hurdle. Picture: Healy Racing
Jesse Evans, who has been the horse of a lifetime for well-known Cork owners Tomás and Jack Singleton, recorded a facile 12-length success at Ballinrobe on Monday evening in the McHale Pro Glide Hurdle.
On a damp wet evening at the Mayo track the winner was returning to the scene of his first outing when he finished third here in a bumper in 2020 under Maxine O'Sullivan. The Singletons were present to greet their winner along with well-known Cork GAA figures Mick Malone and Seanie Farrell.
The conditions of the race appeared to favour Jesse Evans but he was surprisingly easy to back, despite confidence from connections. He was put in at Evens overnight and drifted to 5/2 into the ring, before returning at 85/50. Willie Mullins Belliccio who was smart on the flat went off the 6/4 favourite despite having to concede 6lbs to Jess's Evans, there was also sustained for Fils d'Oudairies from 11/2 into 3/1.
Jesse Evans was always travelling well under Donagh Myler and his hurdling was slick and accurate in stark contrast to some of his rivals. The recent Killarney winner My Gaffer set the fractions but he was picked off by the smooth travelling Jesse Evans approaching the second last. He quickly asserted and stretched right away to win from Fils d'Oudairies.
The winner has been chasing and came here after a slightly disappointing run at Killarney in a Grade 3 Chase earlier in the month. He'd earlier run a blinder finishing third in a Grade One Novice Chase at Punchestown behind the vaunted Majborough who'd been an odds-on favourite in the Arkle.
Tommy told me afterwards that the plan is to run in the Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary. That's a track where he won the Grade 2 Horse and Jockey Hurdle on Super Sunday in 2022.
This victory was his ninth career success and he's won connections over €340,000 in prize money. It's been well-documented that he has twice finished second in the Galway Hurdle.
He got off the mark over fences at Galway last September in the Galway City Beginners Chase. However, Tommy told me the Galway Plate won't figure on his radar as the trip would stretch his stamina reserves.
He is an intended runner in a chase at the Galway Festival over an identical trip to tonight's distance (2 miles 2Furlongs) Tomás and Jack own the horse in partnership with Chris Murphy and they decided to offer a third share out to syndicate.
Tomás Singleton acquired Jesse Evans on the recommendation of Maxine O'Sullivan who'd ridden him on debut at Ballinrobe and was suitably impressed despite his tendency to race freely that night.
There was an instant dividend for Tomas and his fellow owners as Jesse Evans landed a bumper next time at Listowel giving Mark O'Hare a winner on his final ride. Meath trainer Noel Meade responsible for the winner gave the Cork crew plenty of good-natured stick after Meath’s victory over Cork last Saturday.
The Singletons will be looking for further glory next Monday with Bugs Moran who is set to run at Listowel in a hunter chase on the Bank Holiday. He's now trained by Eugene O’Sullivan and finished second at Cork on Easter Monday.
Most recently he finished fifth in Killarney where a mistake at the fifth last didn't help his cause.
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