After three days of coursing action, the horses took centre-stage again at Clonmel yesterday afternoon when a six race card took place, owing to the abandonment of the two chases.
There might have been only eight in the line-up, but the featured novice hurdle was still a highly competitive event, with Collier County and J P Magnier emerging best after an exciting tussle all the way up the straight.
Like A Bee and In The Dip were strong challengers away from the penultimate hurdle, but Edward O'Grady's lightly-raced nine-year-old showed great reserves of stamina to forge clear on the run in for a two length success.
O'Grady summed up in the aftermath 'he seems to be improving and he jumps great and stays well. He'll now go for another one of those.' For amateur rider Magnier this was a sixteenth victory and he teams up with Rhinestone Cowboy for his next engagement at Sandown on Saturday.
Lasquini Du Moulin didn't give the backers who made him 4/9 market leader any undue cause for worry when triumphing in the opening maiden hurdle. Willie Mullins' charge made all the running for a convincing nine length win.
The Carlow handler said of his French-bred 'we have nothing fancy planned for him but it was a fair performance to make all in that ground. A winners of one will be next on his agenda.'
On plans for Leopardstown's big meet on Sunday he added 'Florida Pearl and Alexander Banquet both definitely run in the Hennessy, Mossy Green and Boneyarrow are confirmed starters in the novice chase whilst I'm not sure about the three novice hurdle entries yet.'
Davy Fitzgerald frankly stated 'he never jumped a hurdle' after watching his well-supported Pearly Jack (2/1 to 6/4 favourite), shrug off his hurdling inadequacies with a four length win in the other maiden hurdle on the card.
Fitzgerald then added of the John Cullen-ridden winner, 'he should have won one before now but this game has only been for educating him as he's a chaser in the making and might go do that now.'
Pippin's Ford (9/2 into 100/30 favourite) also done his bit to lighten the layers satchels when running away with the first divide of the handicap hurdle under David Casey.
Successful on his debut in a Gowran bumper back in 1999 for Kilkenny trainer, Ronald O'Neill, this fellow has been under the care of five handlers in the interim before recently returning to O'Neill.
The other divide of this event saw a thrilling three way drive for the line, Sweetie and Larry Hurley coming out best by a head for trainer Bill Harney.
Favourite here, Its Over and Ruby Walsh took a nasty tumble at the second hurdle, both horse and rider emerging unscathed whilst a bad mistake two out may have cost third placed, Golden Domer dearly.
In the bumper, well-touted, That's An Idea, a drifter on track, had to dig deep in the closing stages under Paul Cashman to fend off Na Creagacha Dubha by a head for trainer Mags Mullins.
