A fine leap from Aces And Kings © Photo Healy Racing
< Aces And Kings followed up his success in a hunters chase at Tramore last week by leading virtually all the way to take the Sean Hughes Memorial Mullingar Park Hotel Handicap Chase at Kilbeggan.
Andrew Lynch wasn't hanging about on the Willie Newman-trained 10-year-old and with market rival Hold Em Cowboy being pulled up, he established a lengthy lead that he looked like keeping all the way home.
However, the 11-4 favourite's stride began to shorten from the second-last and the fact that he won by seven and a half lengths was in part because the chasing Zardsky hit the final fence hard.
Dessie Hughes put a winner on the scoreboard when Sugar Bullet (4-1) broke her duck over fences in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Beginners Chase in the hands of Mark Enright.< Layla Joan was sent off the 8-13 favourite but looked ill at ease from some way out and it was long-time leader Waltz Legend who provided the main opposition before Sugar Bullet led between the final two fences and skipped a length and three-quarters clear.
Barry Geraghty sent Macnicholson clear on the run to the second-last in the Follow Kilbeggan On Twitter Maiden Hurdle and Jessie Harrington's 8-13 favourite ran on strongly to end a sequence of seconds with a comprehensive victory by four and a half lengths.
In a first-time hood, on quick ground and against weak opposition, Paul Gilligan's 7-2 shot Guiding George had the Follow Kilbeggan On Facebook Maiden Hurdle won from two out and was driven clear by Barry Cash to beat the odds-on Rudolf by 12 lengths.
Eoin Doyle's Roman Numeral (11-4) was another to follow up a Tramore victory, winning the Moate Handicap Hurdle off a 6lb higher mark as he got the better of a duel with Luimneach Abu by two and a quarter lengths under Mikey Butler.
Stephen Ryan's 7-2 chance Seaboru took charge of the Greville Arms Hotel Handicap Hurdle after the third-last and kept on well for Shane Shortall to strike by three and a quarter lengths.
