The script for last evening's Kilbeggan fixture couldn't have been written better, with Barrack Buster striding to a comprehensive twenty length success in the opening Pat Doyle Memorial Mares Novice Hurdle.
Of course this is the horse that Kieran Kelly steered to success at the same venue two weeks ago. Later that evening Kelly was to sustain the head injuries that so tragically ended his life, so the follow up win here could have hardly been more appropriate.
Ruby Walsh on board this time, guided Martin Brassil's four-year-old to an easy win. Kieran's dad John and sister Bridget were in attendance to see the 7/4 second favourite triumph.
The Mullingar Maiden Hurdle, the following event produced plenty of talking points. Norman Williamson (didn't ride again at the meeting, but unscathed), came to grief aboard Macks Hunter, when his mount dropped dead at about the halfway stage.
A ripple effect of this was for Shane McCann to be unseated from favourite, Fieldsofclover, after the striken horse had hit the rail, which in turn broke and bounced out, causing the market leader and his pilot to go their separate ways.
Eventually the race fell to six-feet amateur rider, Andrew McNamara aboard Tim Doyle's Valerun. This was the Limerick pilot's sixth win under Rules.
In addition to Barrack Buster, two other horses followed up wins here achieved at the last fixture. Room To Room Gold took a small-field bumper at odds on last time and graduated to hurdle company with 9L win at the rewarding S.P. of 4/1.
Move The News had paid a visit Tramore in the interim, third there, but got back in the winning grove in the 2m 3f handicap hurdle. Under a brilliant Paul Carberry ride, John Bowles charge secured the inner berth off the home turn, a hugely instrumental fact in achieving his length success.
Carberry supplemented that win and landed a nine and a half double return for his followers when Blue didn't have to work too hard to justify 11/10 favouritism with a four and a half length win in the beginners chase.
A minute's silence in memory of the late Kieran Kelly was observed before the fourth race.
