Hand back on the mark with Bucks

Finbar Hand recorded his first racecourse winner in just over three years as his gelding Bank The Bucks kept on best to take the Supermacs Ballinrobe Handicap Hurdle under Bryan Cooper.

The 6yo son of Beneficial was having his eleventh start this afternoon and put in a career best performance last time out to finish fourth behind Irish Soul in a handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse in October.

He was having his fourth start for Hand today having previously been trained by Aidan Howard.

Having raced in mid-division early on the winner moved to track the leaders and travelled well before the third last.

He was on terms two out before kicking on approaching the last and he kept on well from there despite appearing to idle close home, to score by a length and three parts. Usa stayed on well to take second at 12/1 under Paul Carberry for Stephen Mahon while On the Loose was a further two and three parts of a length back in third under Tim Carroll for Tom McCourt at 7/1.

Hat-trick seeking Davy Russell had to settle for fourth on the 11/4 favourite Theonewiththeleg who was a further three lengths behind for Mark McDonogh.

David McHugh from Navan, a winning member of the four strong Falcon Four Syndicate, said afterwards: "Finbar is gone off with the horse he is that dedicated.

He is a superb trainer and a great horseman.

"The win is extra special for me as my father was originally from Ballinrobe and he brought me to this meeting fifty years ago. That was my first time racing.

"We will hopefully be back here again with the horse. We tried to sell him as a foal and as a 3yo but the market was falling through."

Hand's last racecourse success came at Navan in February of 2009 when Halfback took a handicap hurdle under Philip Carberry.

Winning rider Bryan Cooper was continuing his fine start to the new season recording his sixth winner.

The dam of the winner is Mattie's Mulligan who is a half-sister to 1997 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Mr Mulligan.

Donal Murphy & Thomas Weekes