Mater Matuta (9/1) was a game winner of the the (80-95) two-mile handicap hurdle.

Trained locally by Eamon and Alan Delany, the Dawn Approach mare took a narrow lead after the second-last as handicap debutant Happaugue made his bid on the stand’s side. The latter got a bit unbalanced on the run-in and could find no more as 6/4 favourite Golden Sandbanks made a late charge on the far side.

The winner held on gamely by a neck from the market leader with Happaugue another length and a half back in third.

Golden Sandbanks had relegated Mater Matuta to fifth place when winning a handicap chase at Tramore earlier this month but was meeting her on 11lb worse terms on this occasion.

Eamon Delany: "Good to get her off the mark over hurdles. She did it well and she stayed on very well.

"It is a local meeting, we are five miles away. We go back 100 years or more getting winners here.

"We'll be back for the next meeting here anyway!"

Alan Delany, a member of the racecourse committee at Bellewstown, added: "Putting her over fences has put a bit of life into her and she's a good jumper. We put the cheekpieces back on today and we thought she was well-enough handicapped. Jordan said he hit the front far too soon but it was a slow pace and she was going so well.

"We've been watering the track day and night for the last couple of weeks. It's fast but we thinks it's safe out there. We're doing our best and we're getting the crowds as well, so it's great."

Quotes from Michael Graham