A race run to commemorate the brilliant Captain Christy, of course trained by the late Pat Taaffe, fittingly went to his son Tom, handler of Heaney victorious at Clonmel under Paul Townend.

The pace was unrelenting in this three miler as Playtime Ben put it up to his rivals from the front. The suspicion was that he was doing too much in a clear lead and Heaney, equipped with the head-piece of his bridle back around his neck, took over at the second last. Lord Ben tried to get to Heaney but he drifted left on the run-in and a length and three parts eventually separated them at the line. Very early clear leader Ancient Days kept on to finish nine and a half lengths adrift in third, having been one of the first beaten, whilst the aforementioned Playtime Ben faded into fourth.

Taaffe commented: "It's nice to win the Captain Christy. He got a lovely ride from Paul – putting him asleep for the first circuit. He came alive with a circuit to go before he put him to sleep again.

"His experience stood him in good stead (sixth chase start).

"He'll go down the handicap route though the likes of the Munster National might come a bit soon." (TW & EM)