Colin Keane’s claim is now down to three pounds after he recorded his fiftieth winner in the tipperaryraces.ie Apprentice 3yo Handicap, scoring aboard the David Marnane trained Sword Of Light

The son of Kodiac finished a close up third on his penultimate start at Galway, before finishing a well-beaten fourth behind Hail Shower at Listowel last Monday.

Dropped in trip to the minimum for just the second time in his career, he was sent off at 7/2 (opened on-course at 9/2), and he reversed the form with Hail Shower, coming with his challenge a furlong out, soon hitting the front, going on in the closing stages to score comfortably four and three parts of a length.

Hail Shower was returned the 2/1 favourite and she plugged on to finish second under Luke Dempsey for Willie McCreery.

Colin Keane said afterwards: "It worked out well. Fergal Lynch (regular rider and son of winning owner Charles) said to me to take a lead as he doesn’t like to be rushed early, and he fairly flew home."

Additional reporting by Alan Magee