< Caim Hill showed he had made a full recovery from a serious bout of colic when dead-heating for victory in the Surehaul Mercedes Novice Hurdle at Clonmel.
Philip Fenton's six-year-old, a 7-1 chance, got up in the last stride under amateur Brian O'Connell to share the spoils with John Kiely's On The Way Out (6-4) in this Listed contest.
"That was a grand result. To be honest, I'd have been happy if he'd have run well as we nearly lost him with colic in the autumn," said Fenton, who is based in County Tipperary.
Caim Hill could now be bound for the Cheltenham Festival as he holds entries in the Ballymore Properties and Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdles
"I expect him to improve a lot from that and he seems to cope with good and slow ground. He's entered at Cheltenham and there's always Punchestown as well," Fenton added.< Hurricane Carter the 5-2 favourite, survived a mistake two out to make all the running in the Kilcash Chase.< Callherwhatulike came down at that obstacle leaving Bluesea Cracker in second place but Dooneys Gate stayed on strongly to take the runner-up spot and got to within two and a half lengths of the Tom O'Leary-trained winner.
"He's a giant of a horse, even though he is a nine-year-old he still has some growing to do," said O'Leary.
"We want to have him for a while so he will only have another two or three runs this season. There is a three-mile novice race on Sunday week at Navan he may go for."< Tinakellylad (7-4 favourite) bounced back from being an odds-on failure at Limerick last time to open his account in the Fethard Maiden Hurdle.
Always close up for Niall Madden, Mouse Morris's runner took a definite advantage two out and went on to win cosily by eight lengths from Erritt Lake
"I was baffled by his run the last day. He was very dead in himself but he carried Niall well today," said Morris.
The Paul Moloney-trained Rotorua (14-1) capitalised on mistakes by Earth Mover at the final two flights to take the Kilsheelan Mares Novice Hurdle by three lengths.
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