Xsquared (Paul Carberry) chased down Casimir Road (Mark Enright) to score at Bellewstown© Photo Healy Racing
Paul Carberry timed his challenge to perfection as he swooped late to land the feature Fast Shipping Bellewstown Handicap Hurdle on Xsquared on the opening evening of the July festival meeting.
Joanna Morgan's charge, who went up 9lb for a Ballinbrobe victory last time, was sent off a 4-1 shot and was given a typically patient ride before getting on to the heels of the leaders at the third-last flight.
Carberry was in no hurry to make his move and jumped the final obstacle behind the favourite Casimir Road before urging his mount into the lead close home for a half-length success.
Three went to post for the Anglo Printers Novice Hurdle in the absence of Henry Higgins and although the betting suggested it would be a two-horse race, all of them held a chance coming off the final bend.< Cape Glory tried to make all the running, but Dessie Hughes's 8-13 favourite Indian Icon always appeared comfortable in the hands of Mark Enright and asserted on the run to the final flight before holding off The Visitor by a cosy two lengths.
They weren't hanging about in the Resolve Race Cubes Handicap and Shane Foley always had the Ken Condon-trained Strait Of Zanzibar (12-1) close to the leaders before asserting going to the final furlong and holding Sretaw by half a length.
John McConnell's four-year-old Lindenhurst (9-2) ran with a lot of credit over hurdles and he is a capable performer on the level, too, as he showed when leading a quarter of a mile out and running on strongly to beat favourite Snowmane by two and a half lengths in the City North Handicap under Gary Carroll.
Dermot Weld's Wateed (4-1) led all the way in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden and pulled out all the stops for the in-form Leigh Roche to hold favourite Duchess Andorra by a nose.
Seamie Heffernan kept the well-backed Tahaf (6-1) going from the front to hold on by a neck in the Inter Vintners Pub Challenge Race Nite Handicap, while Ross Coakley popped 20-1 shot Ariahey s head in front on the line in the Meath Farm Machinery Hand
