Dermot McLoughlin, Keith Donoghue and Pat Conway combined to record an opening race double, as Digby stayed on strongly to take the Cawley Furniture Novice Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

The trio, who won the first race on the card with Imperial Ruler gave the local crowd more reason to celebrate as their runner held on from the fast finishing Auckland

A dual winner last year, the seven-year-old may have just needed the run on his reappearance at Navan last month but benefitted from that outing with a polished performance here.

He looked a winner as soon as the horses turned into the straight and despite a whole host of runners staying on from out of the pack, they never looked like getting to the McLoughlin trained gelding.

Dermot McLoughlin, “Once the first horse won I thought this fella would take a bit of beating. I fancied him.

“He toughed it out and is a real stayer. They are two nice horses and both will jump a fence.

“We’ll see how he comes out of this but I’d say we will go to Punchestown if there is something suitable.”