< Oscar Dan Dan emphatically justified skimpy odds in an intriguing renewal of the Vendee Hurdle at Thurles.
Tom Mullins' improving seven-year-old (11-10 favourite) has clearly made progress since his seasonal bow at Navan, readily scoring under Ruby Walsh.< Schindlers Hunt placed in three consecutive Grade One chases during the spring, finished an encouraging second.
Cheltenham Festival hero Garde Champetre was another to note as he made late headway to take an encouraging sixth.
Mullins said: "He won handy but Ruby was very good as usual.
"We'll see if there is another race like this, or a staying hurdle.
"I had novice chasing in my head but I don't know after that."< Coolcashin led his rivals a merry dance to land the Horse & Jockey Beginners Chase, in which Paul Carberry and Davy Russell both suffered injuries.
"He's a light-framed horse and I didn't think he'd make a chaser," admitted winning trainer Michael Bowe.
"But he was very good there & ndash; very clever & ndash; and looks a natural."
Carberry has a sprained wrist, while Russell suffered a suspected broken thumb following respective falls from Judge Deed and Fier Destrier < My Lord Oscar claimed top honours following an absorbing finale to the www.thurlesraces.ie Handicap, while Adrian Maguire's Mr Warbucks made a winning debut over fences in the Thurles Beginners Chase.
Maguire said: "He's a big horse and it's taken all this time for him to come to himself."< Cross Appeal was another to demonstrate an enviable will to succeed in the Killinan 3-Y-0 Maiden Hurdle.
"We let him off after his last run with a view to going hurdling and he has grown since he was out," reflected trainer Noel Meade.
Meade initiated a quickfire double when 2-1 favourite Outlaw Kid ridden by Nina Carberry, struck in the Cashel Maiden Hurdle.
Paul Carberry's woes were no doubt exacerbated as the injury-prone jockey was scheduled to ride both Cross Appeal and Outlaw Kid.
