ADRIAN Heskin rode his first winner since returning home from Britain on Magical Zoe (8/11 favourite) in the feature Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Pat Walsh Memorial Mares Hurdle at Gowran Park yesterday.

Henry de Bromhead’s mare finished second in the Jack de Bromhead Mares Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last season and she made the perfect start to this campaign by outclassing her rivals in this two-mile contest. Heskin looked confident he had Say Goodbye covered before the second last flight, and although Magical Zoe didn’t go on to win as well as it looked she might, she was a comfortable four-length winner at the line.

The Cork native rider returned home earlier this year but had ridden this mare to win for owners Patrick and Scott Bryceland before.

“It looked like she got a bit tired,” de Bromhead said. “Adrian said she took a little blow after she hit the front and hopefully she will improve. We want to try and go two and a half again and see. There is a mares’ race in Punchestown on the Morgiana weekend that we may aim towards and see how we get on.

“We need to see with regards to the spring that we do stay or not. I’m delighted and it’s a great start.”

De Bromhead doubled up when Lucky Zebo (8/13 favourite) picked up nicely to see off Krabat in the Golf Societies @Gowran Park Handicap Hurdle under Rachael Blackmore.

The Jamie Lawson Maher-owned gelding was scoring for the fourth time in five starts and will have plenty of options going forward, considering his last two runs were over fences.

“That was great and Jamie (Lawson Maher, owner) was down here so that was good,” said de Bromhead. “He’s progressing. We went over fences for a couple of runs which he did really well but there wasn’t a whole lot coming up so we said we’d have a look over hurdles. It was lovely to see him go and do that again.”

THE opening Xenon Security Maiden Hurdle was dominated by Gavin Cromwell’s Hypotenus (6/4 favourite), who led from start to finish for Keith Donoghue.

The Derek Kierans-owned four-year-old raced as a juvenile last season and has some good form, notably finishing third to Zenta in a Grade 3 contest at Fairyhouse, and this was his first run for Cromwell, having switched from John McConnell’s yard.

He was in a different league here with Donoghue always looking confident on the way to an eased down 15-length score.

“I was hoping coming here that there would be a little bit of pace in the race and we might get to drop in a small bit but nobody wanted to make it so he made the decision at the start to keep it simple,” said Cromwell.

Perzzini (6/1) showed a fine attitude to take the Gowran Park Racing Club Maiden Hurdle for JJ Slevin and Lorna Fowler. The five-year-old, owned and bred by Victoria Brann, Catherine Gabbett and Anthea Smyth, led from flagfall and picked up really well for Slevin to keep the challenge of Monsieur Azul at bay.

“He’s matured since his last race and JJ was very good on him,” said Fowler. “They find a rhythm and you just have to let him jump his own way and then there is no problem. I hope we are on an upward trajectory now.”

The Thomastown Handicap Hurdle went to Emancipator (7/2) and John Shinnick for Terence O’Brien.

The seven-year-old gelding raced in a mix of second and third throughout, travelled nicely into the straight and came right away from Added Bonus after the last to go on and win handsomely for the Terence O’Brien Racing Syndicate, who broke out a rendition of The Banks Of My Own Lovely Lee in the winner’s enclosure.

AURORA Vega (8/13 favourite) maintained her unbeaten record for Willie and Patrick Mullins in the closing Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mucklemeg Mares Flat Race

The daughter of Quevega and full-sister to Facile Vega had been a comfortable winner of each of her first two starts but there were some promising mares to take on here and consequently she had to work a little harder. She travelled best into the straight and picked up nicely when asked, going on to score by three lengths from Sharp Object, who ran a big race for John McConnell in second. The winner was quoted at 12/1 for the Mares’ Novice Hurdle by Paddy Power.

“The ground was a concern as she was a little bit keen but I think she was idling a bit in front and there was more in the tank,” said the winning rider.

“I’d be hoping we might aim her at some good bumpers in the spring. That’s what I will be trying to steer Willie towards anyway! She keeps on improving and while she has a lot to live up to, she is doing that at the moment.”

There was a messy finish to the two-mile Golf At Gowran Park Handicap Hurdle, with We’llgowats (8/1) coming right across the track to lean into Mullins Cross who in turn was pushed into Quornofamonday on the rail.

After a stewards’ inquiry the result stood, with the length winning margin likely helping the first past the post, though jockey Conor McNamara was given a three-day ban for careless riding.

Trained and owned by Liam O’Brien, the daughter of Dylan Thomas was given a good waiting ride prior to that, making ground after the third last and her challenge was well timed but for her tendency to hang, which her rider put down to her idling once getting to the front.