Champ off the mark for the new season Champion jockey Davy Russell recorded his first winner of the new season as he partnered the Charles Byrnes trained mare E Mac (4/1) to victory in the Follow Kilbeggan On Facebook Maiden Hurdle. The 6yo daughter of Old Vic was having just her third career start this evening and her second over hurdles. She made her debut on firm ground in a bumper at Wexford in May of 2010, where she ran well to finish just under four lengths, sixth behind Bombalong. However she then wasn't seen on the racecourse until last month, where she ran a cracker on her hurdling debut to finish second, just a length and a quarter behind Pageboy in Tipperary. Having raced prominently in the chasing group, she took closer order at the fifth and hit the front approaching the straight. She was press at the last, where she jumped left, by the eventual runner-up Ballyadam Approach and was headed by that fellow on the run-in before she rallied gamely to regain the lead near the finish. The official winning distance was half a length, with the aforementioned Terence O’Brien trained 14/1 shot in second while there was a further six lengths back to the third, who was Chasing Shadows at 9/2 for Dessie Hughes and Bryan Cooper. Ruby Walsh finished back in fourth on Sin Palo for Willie Mullins, on his sole ride of the evening. The gambled on favourite Mallowney (6/1 this morning, opened 4/1 on track and returned at 7/2) for trainer Tim Doyle lost considerable ground at the start but still managed to finished sixth under Andrew Lynch. Five people make up the winning Clochmore Syndicate and they are from Charleville in Co Cork. Donal Murphy & Alan Magee
