< Ainama was made to work harder than odds of 11/10 suggested he would to land Ballinrobe's P. Flannery Plant Hire Group London Chase.

'Slippers' Madden had to niggle the market leader on more than one occasion throughout the contest, but he was still one of three who jumped the last in unison.

Chief rival Traffic Article pecked slightly on landing, handing the advantage to Ainama, who ground out a length-and-a-quarter victory in determined fashion.

Traffic Article's rider Paul Carberry was seen to good effect on Abarta in the Ballinrobe On Course Vets Handicap Hurdle.

The 8/1 shot was one of several in with chances at the penultimate flight, but came clear with Masked Phantom and responded to all of Carberry's urgings to prevail by a length and a half.

The Sponsors Day At Ballinrobe Maiden Hurdle developed into a duel between Lillymile and Imperial Joey from the second-last, with the former just doing enough.

Imperial Joey cruised to the front rounding the top turn, but Lillymile was hot on his heels and although the pair swapped the lead more than once in the straight, 33/1 outsider Lillymile found that little bit extra close home under Andrew McNamara.

That completed a double for McNamara, because he had earlier steered the Shark Hanlon-trained Streets Of Newyork (11/4) home to break his duck in the www.ballinroberacecourse.ie Maiden Hurdle, while Matthew Bowes brought the strongly-supported 9/2 favourite Mac's Conflict with a well-timed challenge to claim the spoils in the Follow Ballinrobe On Facebook Handicap Hurdle, giving trainer Paddy Fegan his first success.

Streets Of Newyork's stablemate Ardglen (5/4 favourite) capitalised on a lenient fencing rating in the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Chase.

Having had just the three previous tries at the larger obstacles, he was 21lb lower than his timber mark for his handicap debut and duly obliged in the hands of Declan Bates.