A perfectly timed ride by Nina Carberry on Zaffaran Star brightened up the evening at a rain soaked Downpatrick as she got up in the final strides to snatch victory in the Heart Of Down Hurdle for Qualified Riders. It was a dramatic race in which long time leader Dromone Express looked a winner for a long way but renewed efforts from both Allgrownup and Zaffaran Star saw him finish third. Allgrownup had looked to have got up but was headed by the Robbie Burns trained Zaffaran Star who justified the support of favourite backers, winning by a shorthead .
'Nina was brilliant there again - she is just first class,' remarked winning trainer Robbie Burns. 'She said that the mare made a mistake at the third last and she just gave her a chance to get her rhythm back. We will go for a hurdle race over two and a half miles now.' he concluded.
Dochas Beag ran out an impressive winner of the Downpatrick Maiden Hurdle. Ridden by Niall Madden the winner raced in mid division throughout before making good progress three from home. The result was never in doubt after the last as the four year old in the colours of the B.A.C Syndicate asserted before being eased down by Madden on the way to recording a nine length win.
'I have won this race a few times, so it is nice to win it again. I thought he had the credentials to win this although I was disappointed with his last run at Limerick. He will mix it over hurdles and on the flat for the summer but he likes that bit of ease in the ground. If we get a bit more of that rain we might run him again very quickly,' said Hughes of the 5/2 favourite.
County Meath trainer Andrew Heffernan returned to the track on which he trained his first winner to score with Nizamar in the colours of his son Bernard. Restricted trainer Heffernan also trained Teal Bridge to win an Ulster National at Downpatrick but here was recording another win on the level with the front running Nizamar in the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap. Making all the running under Chris Timmons the gelding by Desert Style ran out a comfortable seven length winner.
Afterwards Andrew Heffernan said, 'This is a lucky track for me I had a winner here at the last meeting and my first ever winner as a trainer was here. There is a similar race at the Curragh or Leopardstown that he could go to but if we get an ease in the ground I will go hurdling with him because he is brilliant over hurdles..'
Willie Austin saddled his first runner ever at Downpatrick in Quizzical and the newest recruit to his yard gave him a surprise winner at the Co Down track. The 14/1 shot formerly trained by John Carr was always prominent and despite being headed jumping the last by Ashlawn, the winner battled gamely to regain the lead inside the last 150 yards under a determined Andrew Leigh.
'He is off the track since last August and I only have him three months. It is my first time to come to Downpatrick in over twenty years of training. We only have a bout five in at the moment and we will go for something similar with him,' said the Cloughjordan handler.
Joanna Morgan and Barry Geraghty teamed up with Genuine Easy to land the opening race of the mixed card by three parts of a length. Held up throughout the contest by Geraghty, the five year old made good ground before the third last and was within two lengths of the leader Mister Lucky jumping the final flight. Mister Lucky stayed on well under Paddy Flood but was collared close home by the eventual winner.
Winning trainer Joanna Morgan later revealed, 'Her owner is delighted with that as he will be keeping her for breeding. She done it well and could run on the flat next before we aim here for a race at the Galway festival.'
Rory Cleary partnered his fifth winner of the season when landing the Behan Financial Planning Apprentice Maiden aboard the Michael Grassick trained Misskinta. Cleary made every inch of the running on the four year old filly by Dessert Sun going clear two and a half furlongs from home and was the pair were never challenged on the way to an eleven length success.
Haiban with Sean Leavy up made most of the running to continue trainer James Lambe's good run. The winner got first run on his rivals and they could never get close to the thirteen length winner who returned a 7/1 shot.
