Zahr Alyasmeen and China One have shown in recent weeks that Paul Deegan's runners need serious consideration when 'the money is down.' Sharalam owned and trained by the Curragh-based Deegans, justified the confidence of those that backed him from 11/4 this morning into 5/4 for the thetote.com Maiden. Kevin Manning was in the plate.

The victorious Alamshar gelding kept going well for Manning when push came to shove and he eventually saw off the staying-on Sli Na Fiarana by a length.

Deegan said: "We waited a while with him – we always thought a good bit of him last year but he had a few niggly problems so we let him be.

"The form of the Curragh maiden he ran in (kept on well to be third behind subsequent Irish Lincoln winner Sharestan) has worked out well.

"He'd definitely be better over another couple of furlongs and he could be stakes class. We'll maybe go for the Alleged Stakes with him next." (MG & EM)