Naturally Blond made just about all the running to repeat last years success in Division l of the Killarney Plaza Hotel & Spa Handicap Hurdle at Killarney.

Send on from flag fall by Darragh O'Keeffe, the twelve-year-old never saw another rival, as he won even more impressively than in the corresponding race 12 months ago.

Turning out of the back straight, the Patrick Cronin trained gelding momentarily looked in trouble as the field closed up but once O'Keeffe asked him to stretch on the response was immediate.

Good jumps at the last two hurdles saw him canter home in front with plenty in hand of toiling rivals. It was an excellent training performance by Cronin to have the gelding ready on his first start since last August.

The winning trainer said; "He won easier today than he did last year and we'll come back next year for the third time hopefully. He won't do much racing in between because he runs better fresh.

"When he starts running bad, I won't race him as he is a family pet who lies out in the field in the sun. I bred him, we broke him and I'm delighted he won again."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes