Last season's Sun Alliance Novice Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace returned to action at Navan today where the final race of the day was cancelled due to slippery ground conditions on the back straight.
Dessie Hughes' gelding gained a hard earned success in the Heineken Kilnaleck Maiden under Niall McCullagh.
The 3/1 favourite, who provided jockey Kieran Kelly with a memorable win at Cheltenham last March, battled gamely inside the final furlong to defeat Shamsada by one length.
Hughes later commented 'he has probably improved from last year and looks a lot stronger. He will now go for the Lismullen Hurdle on November 9 next.'
Trainer Dermot Weld and stable jockey Pat Smullen were both on the mark three times.
Weld's Princess Stephanie (9/1) ran out an impressive winner of the Tara Nursery Handicap. The two and a half length winner is now set to travel to America at the end of the month to continue her racing career at Churchill Downs.
The middle leg of the hat-trick was Elite Society (8/1) who won the 1m1f maiden. Weld later reported 'that is my 100th global winner of the year and I even appeared in a crossword answer yesterday!'
Half an hour later Weld's Multazem won the Boardsmill Race. Weld described the winner as a 'nice Group horse for next year.'
Acorn Lodge won the opening five furlong apprentice maiden, thus providing her permit holder Pat Tallis with his second career success. Acorn Lodge, under Padraig Beggy, credited Tallis with his first winner at Roscommon in July and the Co. Kilkenny handler later commented 'she seems to have improved a fair bit and that trip may not be her optimum. She is the only horse I currently have in training.'
Aidan O'Brien's Kisses For Me drifted alarmingly (6/4 - 4/1)in the betting for the one mile maiden (division 1) but belied that lack of confidence to gain a length and a half win over fellow newcomer Lisieux Orchid. Winning jockey Mick Kinane later stated 'she is an honest filly who stuck to her task well.'
The ever popular Johnny Murtagh landed division 2 of the one mile maiden on John Oxx's Tarakala. Oxx's assistant 'Slim' O'Neill later commented 'she came on well from her debut run at Tipperary and loved today's going. We have no plans for her yet.'
Thomas Weekes.
