The Gigginstown-owned pair Vengeful and Dis Donc fought out a tremendous finish to the www.thurlesraces.ie Maiden Hurdle with the former justifying favouritism by a slim margin.

For the second time in just over half-an-hour Davy Russell was on the wrong side of a photo-finish having gone down by just a nose on the Gordon Elliott-trained Mitchouka in the previous juvenile maiden hurdle.

This time it was Elliott who was smiling as Jack Kennedy conjured a renewed effort from Vengeful on the run-in.

The 7/4 favourite had just a head to spare at the line, with Turbine a length and a half back in third.

Elliott said, "We deserved that! Jack showed how good he is again for 18 and he'll be something else once he gets another couple of years experience underneath him. We're lucky to have two men like himself and Russell.

"He's a nice horse, wants a bit further and will be ok."

(TW & AM)