"I was a little bit worried stepping her back to a mile," admitted locally based Kilmessan handler Matthew Smith after his Warnaq took the honours under Wayne Lordan in the Bective Restaurant At Navan Racecourse Handicap.

Ger Lyons and Colin Keane were bidding for a double in this mile event with Inscribe after their earlier win with Flat To The Max but Warnaq made all, and she was ridden to assert a furlong out, kept on strongly in the final furlong to beat her aforementioned rival by six lengths.

"We thought the mile here on this ground could be suitable. She loves to bowl along and I suppose she was fit from hurdling during the winter," elaborated Smith.

"We were disappointed that she didn't run a bit better over hurdles but she was keeping good enough company. We'll probably stick to the Flat now for the time being."

(AM & EM)