Glen Kiln such an appropriate winner of Limestone Lad Hurdle

Glen Kiln was an appropriate winner of the Naas Racecourse Business Club Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas.

The seven-year-old carries the Bowe family silks made famous by the hugely popular Limestone Lad, who won 35 races over the course of a fantastic career including three Morgiana Hurdles, three Hatton’s Grace Hurdles and a hat-trick of victories in this Grade Three contest between 2000 and 2002.

While Glen Kiln (4-1) has a long way to go to scale those lofty heights, Harry Kelly’s charge was second to Lossiemouth in the Morgiana at Punchestown in November and after making every yard of the running over the two miles he knuckled down well for Brian Hayes to see off hot favourite Karbau by a length.

Michael Bowe, whose father James trained Limestone Lad and also landed this race twice with superstar mare Solerina (2004 and 2006) and with Sweet Kiln, was emotional in the aftermath, saying: “I couldn’t talk and I couldn’t walk, all I could do was cry.

“You breed them and you rear them and bring them to this, I’m thrilled to bits.

“People kept saying you’ll never have another one like him (Limestone Lad), but this fella is coming near that, he’ll improve again and he’ll make some chaser.

“It doesn’t get any better than this. These days are hard to come by and when they do you want to enjoy them.”

Kelly added: “You couldn’t have written the script. It’s brilliant for Michael and John (Bowe).

“I’m just so delighted to have a horse like him and we think he’ll be a really good chaser next year.

“We’ll see how he is in the morning and make plans with him then.”