Ger Cully saddled his first winner under rules for over two years when sending out No Small Plans to land the two and three quarter miles maiden hurdle. The well-backed evens favourite was given a fine ride by Andrew Leigh, driven along from three out and finding a gap on the far rail inside Dublin Hunter on the run-in to beat that rival by a head.
Leigh, 19, was recording his second winner and Cully revealed afterwards, 'I'm giving this training game another go this season, and have about 15 nice young horses in at the moment for the track.'
North County Dublin trainer Tommy O'Neill also bridged a two-year winner-less gap with Mose Harper in the handicap chase. Joey Elliott's mount, who failed to complete in the Czech Republic's Velka Pardubicka last month, had enough in reserve on the run-in to hold the challenge of Kergaul by three and a half lengths.
Live Our Dreams got his chasing career off to a winning start in the two and a quarter mile beginners event, although Niall Madden's charge had his task greatly eased with fancied pair Woodys Deep Ocean and the ill-fated Jolly Moonbeam early fallers.
Conor O'Dwyer's mount still appeared set for second place after the last but leader Jupiter Hollow weakened badly on the final climb to the line leaving Live Our Dreams to eventually come home a comfortable four and a half lengths victor. 'He jumps really well, and will continue novice chasing,' said Madden.
Lorenzetti made virtually all in the four-year-old maiden hurdle, and kept on under pressure from the last under Larry Hurley to beat the staying on Polly's Joy by a length and a half. The General Monash gelding is proving a real bargain having cost connections just 1,000 euro at last year's Horses In Training sale in Goffs.
In-from trainer Eamonn Sheehy added to his tally when Spiralbound took the opportunity handicap hurdle in the hands of champion claimer Keith Hadnett. The six-year-old was sporting blinkers for the first time, and was prominent throughout to beat favourite Coccinelle by two lengths.
Brunker Buoy overcame a severe bump by a rider-less horse at the second last to take the three miles beginners chase under David Casey. The Suzanne Cox-trained gelding was hit in mid-air by earlier casualty Carneys Cross but got going again to beat Changed Times by a length.
Alan Magee
