Dalmatia, left, leads them home in Punchestown© Photo Healy Racing
Eddie Harty's Dalmatia put in a fine front-running performance to land the opening Total Event Rental Handicap Hurdle in Punchestown.
With visibility almost totally obscured due to heavy fog, the grey took the field along under Mark Enright in this two-mile contest. Solita made good headway to throw down her challenge after the last but Dalmatia kept on best to close the race out by half a length.
Those who backed the winner were rewarded at 10/1 with the runner-up an 8/1 chance. Morga couldn't get on terms with the front pair and was three and a quarter lengths away in third at 7/1.
Mark Enright said: "I didn’t see a whole lot more than you did lads!”
"She was very good. I got a soft lead and tipped away. I was a bit slow at a couple of hurdles down the back but she was just idling a little bit. From the back of the second last I sent her on, I knew she would stay.
"As soon as Davy (Russell, on Solita) got to me she got in a battle, she put her head down and she tried. She's a hardy bit of gear and I'd say the further she goes the better to be honest.
"It's great for me to get a winner for Eddie. Adrian Heskin has gone to England now so I've been riding out a morning a week for Eddie and it's great to get a winner for him."
In relation to the fog he said: "Absolutely no problem, you can see the jumps from a good bit away."
This was Dalmatia's second career victory, having won a maiden hurdle at Clonmel in February 2015.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
