HOME By The Lee exacted revenge on old foe Bob Olinger to win his second Railway Bar Lismullen Hurdle in the space of three years for Joseph O’Brien, Danny Mullins and proud owner-breeder Sean O’Driscoll.

A winner of this race in 2022, when spectacularly trading as big as 999/1 in-running on his way to upsetting Bob Olinger, he was no match for the same rival here 12 months ago but took full advantage of a shift at the weights on Saturday.

He stayed on stoutly in his typically gritty fashion to collect by three and a half lengths at 7/1.

O’Brien said: “He had run well in this race over the last couple of years and he was a good bit better off at the weights this year. This is very much his first run of the year, but I thought he really went through the race well and jumped well. Danny was impressed with him. I couldn’t be happier.”

On what lies ahead for the 2022 Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle winner, O’Brien added: “We always keep him fresh, so we’ll wait for Christmas [at Leopardstown] now and then he will go to Cheltenham. His path kind of plots itself.”

BARRY Connell came close to scooping a double from his two runners on the card, with the appropriately-named Slane Hill proving tough to catch up the stiff Co Meath straight under an enterprising ride from Michael O’Sullivan.

The now three-time winner hadn’t been running to his best in recent starts but built up a major advantage on the front end and couldn’t be reeled in, scoring by nine lengths at odds of 9/1.

Connell said: “The plan wasn’t to go and do that. He jumped out and nobody went on – funny enough, you think it is a track where front-runners wouldn’t do well, but I think they have a reasonably good record.

“The last couple of runs, he was travelling well in the race but he just wasn’t finishing out. Blinkers sharpened him up. He has plenty of ability but he is a little bit of a thinker.”

It looked for much of the straight that Connell and O’Sullivan might be onto a brace in the Hotel Park St. Johann In Tirol Austria Handicap Hurdle when 3/1 favourite Hashtag Pretender was in pole position for much of the journey. However, the John Flavin-trained Clarens finished with purpose under Alex Harvey to reward some decent market support at 9/1 (from 22/1).

Clarens clicking

The Miracle Racing Syndicate-owned hurdler’s last win had come on this weekend back in 2021 and he took advantage of a falling mark to beat Tonaghneave Well by half a length (Hashtag Pretender third).

“He was second in it last year and we had it in mind for a long time to come back - with Alex’s 5lb off, he was nearly a stone better off,” said Flavin.

“He loves it here and is always happier when you take him out of the box in the car park here! Even with the bigger crowd here today, it just lights him up. I’m delighted for the horse because he always runs his race. All the owners have stuck with him for the last couple of years.”