Heist and Jonathan Burke on the way to victory© Photo Healy Racing
< Heist finished strongly to come out on top in a thrilling climax to the Follow KilbegganRaces On Twitter Handicap Chase.
The Pat Griffin-trained six-year-old was one of five or six to jump the last in contention but was more fluent than most and took up the running soon after.
The 14-1 chance, competing from the foot of the handicap, clicked into overdrive from that point and stormed two and three-quarter lengths away from Valours Minion < Airlie Beach stretched her unbeaten record to three with an impressive performance in the Joe Cooney Memorial Mares Novice Hurdle.
Willie Mullins' 1-3 favourite was allowed an uncontested lead until Billy's Hope moved up at the fourth-last, but there was plenty in the tank and Paul Townend eased her away again to score by an easy 23 lengths from Jaime Sommers < Full Cry banished last month's fall here to the memory with victory in the Kieran Kelly Memorial Beginners Chase.
There were plenty in with chances heading to the last but nothing found as much for pressure as Henry de Bromhead's 11-2 chance, who burst between runners to account for Swantykay by five and a half lengths.< Holy Water and Borderlinedecision appeared to have the Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey (C & G) Maiden Hurdle between them when going clear three out.
They may have cut each other's throats, though, because Good Tradition (5-2) gradually closed the gap on them under amateur Dean Sinnott and hit the front close home for a length-and-a-half victory.< William Du Berlais did everything that was expected of him in the Like Kilbeggan Races On Facebook Maiden Hurdle, taking it up two out before easing five and a half lengths clear of Solar Heat as the 8-11 favourite.< Black Sam The Man (15-2) only had two previous races over fences heading into the Pig 'N' Whistle Pubs & Restaurants New York Handicap Chase but defied that inexperience to inflict a three-and-a-half-length defeat on Shake It Up
