Killarney, for the second day running, survived a 7.30am inspection and raced in much better conditions than the previous day.
Curragh based jockey Pat Smullen recorded a double. His first winner was on board 9/10 favourite Great Compton who landed the 1m3f Maiden for trainer Dermot Weld. The son of Compton Place was given a strong drive to defeat Red Cedar by four lengths.
Smullen completed his double in the Murphy Mitsubishi Motors Handicap on Top Star. The 10/1 shot eventually won by seven lengths and winning trainer Liam McAteer later praised Smullen for the today's success. 'Pat rode him in Roscommon and suggested that he should be ridden up with the pace more.' he stated.
Edward O'Grady's Kickham, who has a Galway Hurdle entry, won the opening Niall Brosnan & Co Solicitors Novice Hurdle but punters who backed the seven year old at odds of 2/7 were made to sweat as the eventual runner-up Soroka made the winner work all the way to the line. Kickham was driven out to the line by jockey Norman Williamson to win by a length and a half.
Twenty year old John Sullivan rode his first winner on Pisces in the 2m6f Handicap Hurdle. The 10/1 winner eventually defeated Rosses Folly by eight lengths ensuring that the Kildare jockey became the third generation of his family to ride a winner.
Eleven year old Ballygowan Beauty caused a big surprise when winning at 20/1 in Tralee last month and the veteran repeated the dose for punters in the 2m1f Handicap. Tommy Walker's charge was ridden by promising sixteen year old jockey Billy Lee with the horse recording his first flat win here, after nine national hunt successes.
Paul Roche's top weight Doc Morrissey won the Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle under Barry Geraghty and is scheduled to reappear in Kilbeggan tomorrow evening while the bumper was won by the Val O'Brien trained Ballygill Heights who made all under Denis O'Regan to defeat Sandy Owen by five lengths.
Thomas Weekes.
