McNiff the man at Downpatrick again

Mark McNiff landed the Toals Best Value For Football Handicap Hurdle for the second year running as Davy Russell got the nicely supported The Way It Works up close home to score. Noble Call s front running effort looked like it would carry him all the way to victory in the two and a quarter miler, whilst L'Attesa (eventually 4th) shaped as the one most likely to reel him back.

Ultimately though it was the Kalinisi mare, The Way It Works, a dual bumper winner, that had most left to give 'at the death' and she got up to nab Noble Call by half a length with the same distance to Shabra's Bertolini in third.

McNiff took this twelve months back with Feel The Air and after this win he said: "The place to be was in front when the music stopped!

"She had good form in bumpers and schooled really well on this ground in the spring at Tipperary. By the time she was ready to run the ground had gone horrendous.

"She wants goodish ground and EasyFix hurdles help as she's not the best jumper."

Winning owner Liam Kelly is from Derry.

(MG & EM)