Emeric continued a fine recent run for Paul Flynn when getting up virtually on the line in a blanket finish to the Wallis Bird Playing Live After Racing Handicap at Leopardstown.

The midlands trainer was making it four wins under both codes since last Saturday with the six-year-old gelding who went off at the rewarding odds of 16/1 despite winning on both his previous Flat starts.

Emeric won twice at Dundalk this spring before finishing down the field on his hurdle debut at Ballinrobe last time.

Colin Keane gave the gelding a typically powerful drive to get up in the final strides by a short-head from topweight Coins Cross with the front-running Eastern Wind just losing out close home a further head away in third.

Keane was completing a double having landed the opening juvenile fillies maiden on Bellezza

Flynn said, “I was hoping to run him in a mile and one here but he wasn’t ready so he came here with Galway in mind.

“I’m not sure that he’s a horse that will act around Galway but the owners want to go.

“He’s travelled really well and I thought that he’d love this track.”