Captainofthefleet leads over the last© Photo Healy Racing
< Captainofthefleet completed a double when defying top weight in the Don't Step On The Crest Handicap Hurdle at Cork.
Trained by Eamonn O'Connell and ridden by his son Eoin, the eight-year-old was 7lb higher in the handicap than when scoring at Thurles last month and clearly relished the testing conditions again.
The 7-1 chance hit the front two out but was made to work hard by Your Busy and held that rival half a length as they crossed the line.
Only three runners lined up for the CIT Rag Week Hurdle and it was 9-2 outsider Thunder Zone that scooped the & euro;13,000 first prize.
The Gordon Elliott-trained four-year-old was sent straight to the front by Luke Dempsey with Sadler's Risk just in behind and nothing much changed thereafter.
The winner responded well when challenged by the 8-11 favourite on the run in and pulled seven lengths clear after surviving a mistake at the last flight.
There was another fine front-running ride 35 minutes later as Brian O'Connell steered One Cool Princess to victory in the CITSU Maiden Hurdle.
However, backers of the 8-11 favourite had to endure an anxious climax as his healthy lead was reduced to three-quarters of a length by the fast-finishing Cairde Aris < Sheworthafewpounds (7-2) came out on top in a battle with Crystal Pearl to make a winning debut in the CIT Horse Racing Maiden Hurdle.
The pair went into the last obstacle together but the winner jumped it best and kept on well to hold the 6-4 favourite by three-quarters of a length.< King Blue (8-1) took the Fegentri World Championship (Q.R.) Handicap Hurdle in fine style for the husband and wife team of Ross O'Sullivan and Katie Walsh.
The winner was always going well and went on to gallop eight lengths clear of Dactik after taking it up turning for home.
There was joy for favourite-backers in the last two races as Roumanian (8-11) edged out Cloudy Morning by a short head in a thrilling finish to the Stay Classy Handicap Hurdle, before Mall Dini (7-4) denied Dallas Cowboy by three-quarters of a length in the clos
