FORMER Grade 1 winner Beacon Edge got back to winning ways at Thurles on Thursday where the Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding made a successful debut for trainer Gordon Elliott in the He’llberemembered Hurdle.

Winner of the 2021 Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse for previous trainer Noel Meade, the nine-year-old today made a successful seasonal reappearance under Jack Kennedy.

Racing behind leader Cash Back, Beacon Edge was under pressure for the final half-mile but found plenty and eventually scored by a length and a quarter from the front-runner.

Elliott wasn’t present and jockey Kennedy commented: “I had ridden him just once - schooling over hurdles at home, that was all, and he is a great jumper.

“He took off on the run down to the last and I think there will be improvement fitness-wise too.

“Hopefully he continues going the right way and can get back to some of his best form.”

Unbeaten record

Elliott, Kennedy and Gigginstown had earlier won the Thurles (Mares) Maiden Hurdle with Brighterdaysahead (1/4 favourite) which maintained her unbeaten record with an easy win, despite showing signs of greeness on her jumps debut.

Front-running Brighterdaysahead jumped left and afterwards Kennedy said: “She was green and I would have loved a lead on her. She had to do the donkey work but will have learned plenty from it and I’d say she will be exciting with a strong gallop and something to aim at.”

“I wouldn’t have any worries about going right-handed again; she has done plenty of schooling and has schooled great but it is a different story when you get to the racecourse and have to make the running.

“I’m delighted with her and she couldn’t have been much better. She is very exciting and obviously will have to keep stepping forward but it looks like she has the potential to do that, so fingers crossed.”

Promising mare

Another promising mare to get off the mark in a new discipline was Law Ella (3/1 favourite) in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Beginners Chase, scoring for jockey Keith Donoghue, owner/breder Thomas Ward and trainer Gavin Cromwell.

Cromwell stated: “She was good and I’m delighted with that; She has plenty size and scope but we didn’t get to give her a jump on grass until Tuesday. She had plenty schooling done on the all-weather and was good and quick today.

“She had blacktype from her Aintree bumper run and I thought she was an obvious one to win her maiden hurdle quickly but it didn’t just happen for her although hopefully now she can make into a nicer chaser.”

THE concluding Munster INH Bumper was won on debut by The Busy Fool (28/1), which battled well for jockey Phidelma Elvin to edge past 11/5 favourite The Enabler close home.

Winning trainer Philip Rothwell wasn’t present and Elvin, with her fifth winner, reported: “That was unbelievable and the owners (Seamus Carthy and Tony Murray, from Ballinasloe) have been so patient.

“Philip bought him at the sales, we’ve liked him but is a fine big horse who needed time. The owners were willing to give him that time and it has paid off.

“He showed a little bit galloping on grass at home and all credit goes to Marie who rides him out at home and has done the majority of work with him. He is only going to improve from today.

“I’m in Philip’s every day, I’m there three years now and he is so good to me.”

Elvin had earlier finished third in the Leugh Handicap Hurdle, a race won by the Danny Mullins-partnered Star Official (5/2 favourite), for trainer Dick Donohoe and owner Donal Doyle.

21 not out

The Dawn Approach-gelding had failed in 20 previous hurdle attempts but had finished second at Tramore last Thursday and today stayed on well to beat Destivelle by a length and three-quarters.

Donohoe, whose Contrapposto won at last November’s Cheltenham meeting, reported: “It looked a good opportunity and Danny got a great tune out of him.

“It was a long time coming for him over hurdles but he had run well in a similar race at Tramore recently and today’s race cut up so you had to be reasonably confident. He’ll keep going and will try for another handicap hurdle somewhere.”

Arderu Run (11/2) made use of a favourable chase rating when landing the www.thurlesraces.ie Handicap Chase for trainer Eoin Doyle and jockey Shane O’Callaghan.

The dual-hurdle winner was rated 114 in that sphere but competed today rated just 100, with O’Callaghan claiming 5lb and in the end arrived from off the pace to beat Go Battle by four lengths.

Better ones

Doyle reported: “It is grand to get one of our better ones out for the winter as we had a quiet enough summer. She is a grand big mare who jumps away well.

“Shane said they went very fast early on and I thought she might need the run being her first run back but it was a good performance under top weight. Once she got travelling and jumping, she came home well.

“We’ll mix it away and I think there’ll be a nice mares’ chase in her off a lighter weight later on.”

SHAUNA Larkin registered a first winner as a trainer in the Premier County (Mares) Handicap Hurdle with More Info (16/1), which had recently joined her Moneygall yard in a roundabout manner.

Initially trained by Denis Hogan - whose licence is currently suspended, the Tim Conroy-owned mare raced once for stand-in trainer Adrian Joyce in September, before his move to Australia.

Today More Info benefitted from a patient Daniel King ride, arriving from mid-field to eventually beat Magic Conqueror by two and a quarter lengths.

Larkin reported: “That’s in-or-around my fifth runner and my first winner. I was very happy with her and she was working well.

“She deserved to win and I’m delighted for Tim who deserves every success he gets. She carried top weight in that ground and was well entitled to it.”

She added: “Someone had to train Denis’ horses and I’m training from my own yard and got my licence last March.

“I have been working for Denis, on-and-off, for six or seven years and he recommended me to some of his owners, so I’m very grateful for that. I have a handful of his horses and I’m over the moon to get the winner.

“Denis (who was earlier present) is gone but this is brilliant for everyone.”