< Maid Of Malabar cashed in on the last-fence exit of Royal Choice to score on her first try over the bigger obstacles in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Chase at Cork.

Shay Barry went into the lead five fences from home on the Ted Stanners-trained six-year-old but she looked booked for second spot when Royal Choice made stealthy progress to take over with one to jump.

Henry de Bromhead's charge met it all wrong and desposited Andrew Lynch on the turf, leaving the way clear for Maid Of Malabar (8-1) to score by a length and a quarter.

Val O'Brien's Gallery Man seemed to relish the step up to three miles for the first time as he stayed on best of all to land the Cork Racecourse Mallow Handicap Hurdle under Conor O'Farrell.

The in-form Ball Of Blue was always prominent and led coming down the straight, but Gallery Man (12-1) was hot on his heels and took command after the last to win by half a length.< Peacock's Pride first tried jumps over a year ago and returned for a second go to dismiss his rivals in the www.corkracecourse.ie Maiden Hurdle on his first start for John Kiely.

Favourite Bravely Fought led into the second-last but made a hash of it and Peacock's Pride (10-1) swept past under Andrew McNamara and quickly put the race to bed, winning by five lengths.

The jockey doubled up when he asserted after the final flight in the Firville Handicap Hurdle to win by two lengths on his father Andrew's D's Trix (10-1).

A big field went to post for the Scarragh Maiden Hurdle but it didn't matter to Bootlegger who never saw another horse. Davy Russell sent Tom Mullins' eight-year-old (5-1) straight into the lead and he stretched clear to win by six lengths.