Ardera Ru gave local punters further cause for celebrations when running out a 14/1 winner of the BoyleSports Handicap Hurdle at Gowran Park.

The eight-year-old mare, trained in Mooncoin by Eoin Doyle, led before two out and kept on strongly to hold the late run of Early Arrival

Shane O'Callaghan made the decisive move turning into the straight, switching his mount to the outer and allowing her stride on. A good jump at that flight saw the mare take control of proceedings and despite the narrow winning margin she had a bit up her sleeve.

“She's a consistent mare and we're having a great winter out of her,” said Eoin Doyle.

“She travels very well and picked up very well but we had a close moment going to the line, I don't know if he seen him coming but she's probably idling in front.

“I said to him to land her there going to the last but I suppose you have to commit when you are going so well. She won anyway.

“She did it well again and she's improving the whole time. She has a nice mark over fences, she's rated 95, and we might look at a chase.

“She obviously wants that ground, we were running her in the summer last year and she wasn't handling it.

“She's a big strong mare with a good pedigree. She always showed a bit and early on she ran well in a listed bumper but then she lost her way a bit.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson