THE 5/4 favourite Something Abouther made no mistake in the opening Aramark Ireland Mares Maiden Hurdle.

Stepping up in trip having never gone beyond two miles, the daughter of Flemensfirth was ridden clear by Aidan Kelly before the last and stayed on well to beat Ginnets Girl by eight and a half lengths.

Padraig Roche, who trains the half-sister to six winners for Shanahan & Magnier & MacLennan, said: “She had a couple of good runs. Paul (Shanahan) was always looking for a mare and we bred her at home,

“That family only gets better with time so if she keeps going hopefully she could progress into a nice mare.”

Doubled up

Roche and 7lb claimer Kelly doubled up with 16/1 chance Outside The Door in a dramatic three-mile handicap chase.

Seemingly held in third after the second-last as Menindee was making the best of her way home, the winner was left second when that leader fell at the last and he overhauled The Eye Of Tulla in the dying strides to claim an unlikely half-length victory.

“The horse that fell at the last was probably unlucky and I’d say we just picked up the pieces of a bad race,” said Roche, who has care of the seven-year-old for the Hold Firm Syndicate.

“He got badly hurt in Listowel and we gave him a good while off. He’ll stay on the go, he’s a summer horse.”

Maiden shock

The maiden hurdle over just shy of two and a half miles produced a shock with 50/1 chance Eve Moneypenny claiming the spoils under Jody McGarvey.

Fourth on her only time to complete in five point-to-point starts and fitted with a hood for her rules debut, she came from well off the pace to beat Monsant by a length and three quarters

Brendan Walsh, representing trainer Colin Bowe who trains the daughter of Westerner for Milestone Bloodstock Limited, said: “She’s a little bit highly strung and never really helped herself in point-to-points.

“I’d say the drop back in trip and going an honest gallop helped, things were a little bit simpler.”

Greek gallops on for Gilligan

THE two-mile handicap chase went to 7/1 chance The Greek who was another winner for in-form claimer Danny Gilligan.

The winner led two out and was ridden out to see off the persistent challenge of The Dara Man by three quarters of a length. Liam Quinlan got a six-day ban for not giving his mount time to respond on the second.

Trained by Gordon Elliott for the It Takes Allsorts Syndicate, the seven-year-old was making it three wins from his last six starts over fences.

“He doesn’t always find a whole lot when he gets there but in fairness Danny was good and positive on him,” said Elliott.

“He got him into a nice rhythm today and the galloping track suited him.”

The first division of the Primal Performance & Fitness Maiden Hurdle saw 11/8 favourite New Years Honour score comfortably to give Elliott and Gilligan a double on the day.

The Ray Stokes-owned daughter of Nathaniel, a mile and a half all-weather winner for Ralph Beckett, had finished second on hurdles debut at Down Royal in November and, having tracked the leaders, asserted before the last to beat Fermoyle by five and a half lengths.

“On her run last year she was entitled to do that,” said Elliott. “She was good there, he said she took a blow and she’ll come from it.

“She’s probably a filly that we could mix back on the flat as well.”

Commanding success

The second division of that two-mile maiden hurdle saw Striking justify 4/6 favouritism with a commanding success.

The Jessica Harrington-trained gelding, owned by Joe O’Flaherty, was to the fore throughout and Conor Smithers kicked him on before the last to record an 11-length success over Irish Envoy.

“He jumps like a buck and loves that ground,” said Harrington.“We’ll go for a novice hurdle now and see how much he can step up.

“He’s getting there and he can go back on the flat as well, a mile-and-a-half on the flat as a mile and six just gets to him a bit.”

Glory shows the pace for the race

THE 1/1 favourite Da Capo Glory got up on the line to land the Oak Lodge Landscapes At Punchestown Hurdle.

Ash Tree Meadow travelled sweetly on the front end for most of the way but Danny Gilligan had to get busy on him approaching the last as Da Capo Glory and Jeff Kidder closed.

The latter got the final flight all wrong and lost his rider but Mike O’Connor got a good tune out of his mount on the run-in to score by a neck.

Winning trainer Padraig Butler trains the six-year-old for the Red Strand Syndicate.

“He has a few flat spots in his races but stays very well. He’s a well-bred horse, his dam is a full-sister to God’s Own.

“He has a bit of pace and a bit of guts about him and we’re delighted with him. We’ll see how he comes out of it and we might have a look at the Grimes Hurdle in Tipperary.”

Bumper bumping

The 4/11 favourite I Will Be Baie just got home by a neck from 25/1 outsider Onlyamatteroftime in the Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital (Pro/Am) Flat Race but the result was turned around after a stewards’ inquiry.

Under a right-hand drive from Patrick Mullins (one-day ban for careless riding), the market leader shifted left and bumped the second-past-the-post inside the final furlong and Shane O’Callaghan’s mount rallied well close home to give the officials a difficult decision.

Winning trainer Niall ‘Boots’ Madden said: “I fancied him but heard a world of talk about Willie Mullins’ horse.

“I was amazed how easily he cruised into the race and he deserved to get it, I think. I’d say he could be sold. The owner (daughter Sarah Ann) wants to sell, she wants money!