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Review curragh 24th Mar

Alpinist stays on well to beat off Silver Lightening and Lake District at the CurraghAlpinist stays on well to beat off Silver Lightening and Lake District at the Curragh
© Photo Healy Racing

Jim Bolger has started the season in flying form with a four-timer at the Curragh, including when Rehn's Nest ran out a gutsy winner of the feature race on the card, the Lodge Park Stud EBF Park Express Stakes.

The 9-2 chance was always to the fore under Rory Cleary and stretched ahead approaching the furlong pole.

Odds-on favourite Yellow Rosebud gave chase close home, but Rehn's Nest found plenty to win by a length and three-quarters.

Bolger won the opening Tally Ho Stud EBF Maiden for the third year in succession when Saburo came nicely clear in the closing stages.

O'Brien's Stubbs set the early running along the rail, but Saburo (5-4 favourite moved upsides after the furlong pole and ran on well under Kevin Manning to beat the staying-on My Sapphire by two and a quarter lengths.

Bolger's second, which also gave Manning a double, came when Caesaria (5-1) ran out a gutsy winner of the Big Bad Bob Maiden.

Aidan O'Brien's Master Speaker looked to have the measure of their battle when edging ahead in the final furlong, but Caesaria battled back up the rail to secure a head verdict.

The fabulous four was completed when Manning booted home his third winner when Alpinist (13-8) made virtually all in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.< Sweet Lightning added the Irish Lincolnshire to his Doncaster Lincoln title when sweweping to victory under Johnny Murtagh.

The 10-1 chance swept into the lead a furlong out and soon came clear, beating Cheval Rouge by three and three-quarter lengths.< Francis Of Assisi (11-10 favourite) gave O'Brien his first winner of the new campaign when taking the Gabriel Curran Memorial Madrid Handicap under Joseph O'Brien.

Paul Deegan's Srucahan (4-1) picked up where he left off last season, following up two previous wins with victory in the Macari's Supporting The Kildare Rose Handicap under Chris Hayes.