< Fingal Rock defied a 15lb hike in the ratings to land the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap at Roscommon for the Peter Casey yard.
The three-year-old was a nine-length winner at Ballinrobe a week ago and not surprisingly found this tougher, but she showed the form was no fluke.
Sent off a 9-2 chance, she was always prominent and though Lady Songbird went past in the straight, she showed an aptitude for the fight and battled back to win by half a length under Oliver Casey.< Rudi Valentino put an unlucky debut run at Sligo behind him to take the Buy A Racing Post Bonus Yearling Auction Maiden.
Declan McDonogh had the 5-2 joint-favourite smartly away and the Kevin Prendergast-trained juvenile had his rivals in trouble two furlongs out as he made the best of his way home.< Big In Japan second in the Sligo contest in which Rudi Valentino finished a hampered fourth, made late progress but was still a length and a quarter down at the line.
The seven-furlong Ballintubber Handicap was won in gutsy fashion by the David Marnane-trained Winter Haven (7-1).< The Shy Lady went on with a furlong and a half to travel, but Colm O'Donoghue asked his filly for maximum effort and she took over with 100 yards left and had enough in the tank to hold Aine Beag by half a length.< Tarkari (9-4) set off in front under Ruby Walsh in the Owen Dervin & Sons Hurdle and they were never headed.
The challengers bunched up in behind as they turned into the straight, but Willie Mullins' charge galloped on resolutely to beat Air Chief who was second for most of the journey, by a length and three-quarters.
Timmy Doyle's Richard The First (7-2) has been showing steady improvement and took the R.W.S. Maiden Hurdle, jumping the last upsides long-time leader Katcarhue and forging ahead to win by four and a half lengths under Mick Darcy.
