Home By The Lee is Cheltenham-bound again after Galmoy delight

Joseph O’Brien will give Home By The Lee a fifth shot at the Stayers’ Hurdle after he bounced back to form at Gowran Park.

The 11-year-old has run in the three-mile hurdling crown at the Cheltenham Festival in each of the past four seasons, finishing sixth in 2022, fifth in 2023, third in 2024 and then unseating his regular partner J J Slevin last season.

The 10-time winner had disappointed on his last couple of outings, most recently finishing fourth behind Teahupoo in a first-time visor when bidding for back-to-back Christmas Hurdle wins at Leopardstown.

But with the visor removed and blinkers reapplied, Home By The Lee (3-1) showed his true colours in the Grade Two John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle, eventually wearing down the 9-4 favourite Staffordshire Knot in the testing conditions to prevail by half a length.

O’Brien said: “He has bundles of stamina and a great will to win, which are two things you need to win here today with the conditions. I am very proud of the horse and being an 11-year-old, we will enjoy every run that he has left.

“It is a prestigious race to win and hopefully there is more to come this season.”

Home By The Lee was cut to 33-1 from 50-1 by Coral for the Stayers’ Hurdle, and his trainer added: “We were feeling our way with him when he finished second in this race back in 2022 and he has been a high-level staying hurdler for the last number of seasons.

“On the figures he has run right up to his best today and he will go back to Cheltenham for the fifth time in March. He got brought down last year, which was probably his best shot, but you never know what might happen this year.”