"It was a competitive little race and it was a big big step up from his Cork maiden hurdle win, which looked ordinary," acknowledged trainer Tom Gibney after his Ah Littleluck took the Brenda Anderson Memorial Cup Rated Novice Hurdle at Sligo under Mark Flanagan.

Lively in the betting from early in the day, the 2/1 favourite made a few slight mistakes in this five runner extended two and a half miler, but he saw off Lofgren on the run-in for a four length win.

They left the rest, headed by Bay Of Freedom sixteen lengths and more behind.

"We originally thought he was a winter horse. He has been on the go a long time now and I'm keen to give him a break," added Gibney on the Mahler gelding.

"He is owned by a good friend of mine, Kevin Haigney, from Drogheda, who had his first winner with this horse at Cork last time.

"Mark (Flanagan) is based with Ger Keane but does bits of work for me and is riding out of his skin at the moment."

(TW & EM)