Betty scores for Donoghue and Callaghan

The Gillian Callaghan trained Bouncing Betty was another surprise winner at Downpatrick today, the Keith Donoghue ridden mare taking the Pamela Ballantine Handicap Hurdle at the odds of 12/1.

The lightly-raced nine-year-old daughter of Leading Counsel was making her handicap debut this afternoon, and she hit the front after the second last, keeping on well away from the last to score by three parts of a length. High Talk finished second at 9/2 under Derek Fox for Mark McNiff, while the 9/4 favourite, Kinneagh Cross was half a length back in third under Mark Walsh for Ronnie O’Leary.

Gillian Callaghan said afterwards: "Everything was in her favour today, the trip and the ground.

"She is a nice mare and the tongue-tie helped her today. She rallied when she got company, she is very game and we will keep her going now."

After the race the Stewards suspended S.D Bohan for four days, after he was adjudged to have used his whip with excessive frequency on the fourth placed horse, Carheenlea

Additional reporting by Michael Graham