Romella completes the hat-trick

Romella (7/2) completed a hat-trick of wins in the Welcome Back Racing Handicap Hurdle.

The daughter of Milan tracked the leaders in a steadily-run affair and came through to head the front-running Muntahez on the run to the final flight.

She kept on well in the hands of recently-married 3lb claimer Ambrose McCurtin to beat the staying-on Ricky Langford by a length and three quarters with Muntahez dropping to third close home.

The 7-year-old was adding to previous victories at Clonmel and Roscommon.

Brendan Walsh, son of winning trainer John Joe Walsh, said: “Last year she was just not right in herself. The horses are well this year and she is after improving.

“The nice ground is the key to her and we’ll try and get another handicap out of her - while she’s running well we’ll keep her going.

“We’ll give her a break over the winter and she’ll go chasing in the spring.”

Quotes from Alan Magee