Mengli Khan secured his first win in over 18 months as he lifted the KilbegganRaces.com Hurdle at Kilbeggan.
The seven-year-old was a Grade One winner back in 2017, but had been out of luck since scoring over fences in November 2018, although he had placed at the highest level on a handful of occasions in the interim.
However, back over hurdles for his first start since March, Mengli Khan took full advantage of the absence of likely favourite Supasundae, who was taken out due to unsuitable ground.
Mengli Khan, who was the 6-4 market leader, had to fend off the challenge of Jaime Sommers, but eventually came home a length winner in the two-and-a-half-mile event.
"It's good to get his head back in front," said Ian Amond, assistant to trainer Gordon Elliott.
"He was entitled to win that race when the favourite came out. It's been a while since he won, but in fairness to him, he battled away there as there were two or three coming to him at the last.
"He does try, but he's been running in top-class races the whole time and is probably just not that class.
"That race suited him. At least he has his head back in front now and we can go somewhere else with him."
Freewheelin Dylan holds on to win the AXA Farm Insurance Midlands National Handicap Chase from Three Musketeers by the smallest of margins at Kilbeggan. #rteracing pic.twitter.com/5dFnVtjOl6
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 10, 2020
Ricky Doyle piloted Dermot McLoughlin's Freewheelin Dylan (11/1) to the featured AXA Midlands National Handicap Chase, holding off Davy Russell and Gordon Elliott's favourite Three Musketeers by a nose.
