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Staples tacks on another winner aboard Nolan's mare

Moonlight Paradise (left)  Moonlight Paradise (left)
© Healy Racing Photos

Fitted with blinkers for the first time, the Paul Nolan-trained Moonlight Paradise (12/1) made the breakthrough under Rules in Tramore's Comeragh Veterinary Kilmackthomas Handicap Hurdle over two miles, five furlongs.

The daughter of Walk In The Park, successful at Tattersalls Farm last year for Denis Murphy, had them all to pass leaving the back straight on the final circuit but made good headway on the approach to the second-last and took over before the final flight to beat never-nearer 7/4 favourite Mighty Berkshire by a length and a half. 

The five-year-old is owned in partnership by John Brennan, David Flynn and Danny Kearns.

"It's brilliant when a plan works out," said winning rider Eoin Staples.

"She had been keen in the past. Today she wasn't really going for me, so I just dropped her in and took a chance. I just had one go at them and she won well in the end. 

"It might be a little bit of a confidence booster for her. The ability is there as she won a point-to-point.

Hopefully she can keep on improving."

Additional reporting by John O'Riordan

About Tom Weekes
A lifelong racing fan, Tom began writing point to point reports in 2002 and has reported for irishracing.com since 2003, when he joined Irish Racing Services - since taken over by the Press Association. Has ridden a point to point winner and won the 2018 Irish Field Naps Table.