Jesmond Lodge crashes out at the last leaving Black Label clear© Photo Healy Racing
There was drama in the E.P.S. Handicap Hurdle at Ballinrobe as a last-flight fall from Jesmond Lodge allowed Black Label to take the valuable contest.
Jesmond Lodge made a bold bid to make all in the evening's feature event and was still a couple of lengths up approaching the last, although Adrian McGuinness' charge was beginning to put pressure on the leader.
A potentially interesting finish went out the window when John Ryan's filly got it all wrong at the last and the 8-1 chance strolled home to record a 20-length verdict over 9-4 favourite Punch Bag < Ciandarragh maintained her unbeaten record with the minimum of fuss in the Breaffy House Resort Mares Maiden Hurdle.
Willie Mullins' seven-year-old made a successful belated debut in a Kilbeggan bumper last month and tracked pace-setter Herecomesthewolf from the off on her debut over obstacles.
After cruising into the lead as they began to turn for home, the King's theatre mare pulled clear under a motionless Paul Townend and scored by four and a half lengths from fellow 5-2 joint-favourite Brogine < Konig Hall sprang a surprise on his NH debut when taking the Healy Mac's At Breaffy House (C & G) Maiden Hurdle.
A four-time winner on the Flat in Germany, he was well beaten in that sphere at Leopardstown recently but there appeared to be no fluke about this 20-1 success.< Castelo Branco led them into the home straight but Mark Enright's mount wasn't for catching after taking it up approaching the last hurdle and recorded a winning margin of a length and a half.< Winter Breeze relished the testing conditions as he stayed on strongly to land the Burleigh Accountancy Maiden Hurdle by six and a half lengths from Itsonthelist while Blackandambervic (13-2) produced a gutsy front-running performance to deny the challenge of Crystal Earth by a length and a quarter in the Broderick's Electrical Handicap Hurdle.< Mossy Island had to work hard to justify 7-2 favouritism in the J.J. Burke Peugeot Handicap Hurdle as he eventually shook off the challenge of Balofilo to w
