Rewritetherules returned to the winner’s enclosure for the second time within the space of three days, as he followed up his Down Royal success from Monday with an effortless victory in the Rathbarry & Glenview Stud Novice Hunter Chase at Tipperary on Thursday evening.
Facing a significantly easier task once his main market rival, the Cork Hunter Chase victor Casey Jem was declared a non-runner having been reported to be coughing, the five-year-old was unsurprisingly sent off as a short-priced favourite for the 2m 7f contest.
Anchored in rear under heavy restraint by Tom Hamilton, Rewritetherules made striking progress approaching the four furlong pole as he eased up alongside the always prominent Ballycahane winner Trumps Ace, and once making his move around the home bend, the Jeremy gelding soon had the measure of his rivals with two fences to be jumped.
Marie Harding’s Ballyvodock winner Bright Rhett emerged from the pack to move into the second spot, however he could not muster a challenge to easy winner, who ultimately crossed the line with 11 lengths to spare.
Last month’s Rathcannon older maiden winner Panthers Creek claimed third for Stephen Connor and Michelle Gannon, with Misty Adage in fourth and Trumps Ace weakening into fifth.
Rewritetherules, who had initially been bought for €48,000 as a store had failed to make the placings in five outings between the flags for Donnchadh Doyle, but has now won two of his three outings since joining the Carlow based Hanlon.
The victory continues the successful relationship that both Hanlon and Hamilton have struck up in recent months between the flags, having already won the valuable GAIN Final earlier in the spring at Ballynoe with Dime A Dozen.
Winning handler Hanlon indicated that the Plantation Stud-owned gelding would now go in search of his hat-trick either by crossing the Irish Sea to run at Stratford, or else at Listowel on the June Bank Holiday weekend.
