There was a surprise when odds-on favourite The Loan Express could manage only third behind stablemate Aine in the www.tipperaryraces.ie Race.
The Tommy Stack-trained market leader had acquitted herself well at the elite level last term but although she travelled smoothly in a prominent position, she found disappointingly little when push came to shove.
Aine (16-1) was making her racecourse debut and took a while to get the hang of things, but the penny eventually dropped and she finished well to beat Daring Man by a length.
Brave Falcon (10-1) finished third behind Daring Man at Dundalk recently and confirmed that promise by taking the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap.
Punters were dealt another blow when Prince Erik was turned over by Omas Glen in the Thomastown Castle Race.
Better known as a chaser, Cecil Ross's mare came with a wet sail to catch the favourite, who had made hard work of getting to the front and went down by two and a half lengths.
Experience told in the Ballyhane Stud EBF Maiden as Playdate fared best in a head-to-head through the last furlong with Comadoir.
Both juveniles had finished second on their racecourse debut, but it was Kevin Prendergast's 5-2 chance who stayed on for a half-length call, with the newcomers trailing in their wake.
Kargali (30-100) looks a decent prospect, judging by the manner of his facile victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over seven-and-a-half furlongs.
The Irish 2000 Guineas entry oozed class as he improved from his recent debut to slam his rivals by upwards of seven lengths and he looks worthy of a place in much better company.
Dermot Weld's noteworthy French import Tian Shan started 6-4 favourite for the seven-and-a-half-furlong Diamond Green Race and showed a smart turn of foot from the front under Pat Smullen to score by a cosy two and a half lengths.
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