Paul Carberry had to be at his best on Protaras as the gambled-on gelding held off the fast finishing Giant’s Quest and Simon Gray to win the two mile maiden hurdle at Navan.

The blinkered five-year-old trained by Noel Meade was the subject of major on-course support from 5/1 to 11/4.

Carberry led throughout but had to keep him up to his work after the last to win by a diminishing neck from Simon Gray (9/4f) with Giant’s Quest (5/1) also arriving late on the premises for third, a head away. The front three were seven lengths clear.

Noel Meade was delighted with Carberry’s work. He said: “He gave that a peach of a ride and judged it to the last.

“I was very disappointed with his first couple of runs. I thought it might be the ground but we took him to Dundalk and he didn't run well either.

“This was a bit lesser race. He stays well and maybe likes being in front. The owner (Maureen Hunt) will be pleased after the couple of disappointing runs.”

Simon Gray was a morning gamble in the race as punters latched on to the JP McManus-Dessie Hughes-Bryan Cooper triumvirate at all rates from 4/1 to 15/8. He went off 9/4 favourite.

Michael Graham