First Beauty gets admiring glances

In a driving finish to the two mile handicap hurdle at Naas First Beauty gamely kept her neck in front to deprive the closing Space Race and Cut On The Bias

Mikey Doran on board the winner kept the mare up to her work after the last to land the spoils at 12/1.

David O’Connor, assistant trainer to Colin Bowe, said: “She was hampered early on in Galway last Monday and lost all chance but stayed on and was only ten lengths or so behind.

“She got her own way today. That was her third run for us. There should be a bit more improvement in her.

“She’ll run in a handicap hurdle next or go beginners chasing. Colin is in Cork but he is absolutely delighted with her.”

Space Race, the 5/1 favourite for Jessica Harrington and Barry Geraghty, couldn’t quite get to the winner and to settle for the runner-up berth.

There was a gamble on Peter Fahey's Cut On The Bias with 33/1 taken in the morning. He opened 16/1 on course and was supported down to 9/1. The horse finished fourth in the race last year and went one place better on his first run for almost a year.

Michael Graham