Dermot Weld was quick to praise stable jockey Pat Smullen for an 'excellent ride' aboard newcomer Crown Capers in the seven furlong McDonagh Feeds EBF Maiden.
Smullen's mount was cruising as it turned for home but when pressed to quicken, Weld's charge was sluggish off the mark and needed a determined drive from the Offaly jockey to hold off the renewed efforts of Cheal Rose.
Weld immediately nominated the Listed Debutante Stakes at the Curragh on August 20th as the filly's next outing. He also said he was 'anxious about running the newcomer first time out at Galway but was pleased nonetheless with the outcome'.
The pre-race market suggested that the Willie Mullins-trained River Cora had the winning of the Albatros Chase but as the Carlow based trainer declared afterwards, they 'needed a bit of luck.'
River Cora was on hand to capitalise from a depleted field, as four of the nine runners failed to complete the 2m 6f course.
When Brandy Gale fell at the third last, Rugby Walsh - aboard the winner - kicked for home and tagged Monks Error turning the bend. Under strong driving from Walsh, River Cora extended nicely and had six lengths in hand at the finish.
Afterwards, Willie Mullins nominated a stint at the Kerry National and a possible run in the Thomas Pink Gold Cup - formerly the Murphy's Gold Cup - at Cheltenham for the winner.
'We will also keep him in line for some of the bigger handicaps where he can run off low weights. I feel he would be sharper off 9 stone 7lbs or the 10 stone mark,' said Mullins.
Dermot Weld signaled he would run Ansar again on Friday afternoon after the Chester Cup runner up cruised to victory in the opening Albatros N-Rich Maiden Hurdle.
'He will appear again on Friday in the 1m 6f Guinness Extra Cold Race. Today we expected no less from him and he handled the ground real well,' explained the delighted trainer.
Ansar, easily the quality horse in the field by virtue of solid flat form, had three comfortablelengths to spare over Patsy Veale at the finish.
