Boy sends favourite backers home happy

The card ended as it had begun at Thurles with a winning favourite. Eleven to eight chance Western Boy ran out an authoritative two and a half length winner under Katie Walsh in the Liscahill INH Flat Race.

Pat Fahy 's charge led on the inner from before the straight and he was in control from a furlong out, going on to triumph from Mm Dazzler

Fahy reflected: "After his Tipperary run I was going to put him over hurdles but at home he jumped them like fences and I thought he needed to come down a bit and get smarter.

"We ran him in a schooling hurdle and it sweetened him up and it was as good as a race for him.

"We thought all along that he was a speed horse but we rode him a lot handier today and he was way better than I realised. He battled well too.

"It looked a good bumper and I think he's a good horse. He'll probably go hurdling now, maybe at Christmas time." (TW & EM)