CAN’T Stop Smiling (11/4) followed up a recent course win when claiming the featured Monroe’s Live John Monroe Memorial Mares Handicap Hurdle for trainer Aidan Howard at Ballinrobe on Tuesday evening.

Given a patient ride by Charlie O’Dwyer, the J.P. McManus-owned victor came with her challenge on the outer approaching the final flight and led on the run-in to beat the fast-finishing Vischio by half a length.

“It was a good performance to defy the penalty. She probably got caught a bit wide today and it was a more tactical affair,” the rider said. “I was claiming seven the last day and I’m down to five now, so you could say she was 15lb higher in total.

“She’s lightly raced and was running around a little bit but her jumping was very good and, when she switches off, she has plenty of toe for the finish.”

The first division of the Sheridan Electric Maiden Hurdle went the way of Ballystone, trained by Tom Gibney for Derek Kierans.

Placed in a point-to-point and two bumpers, the well-supported 1/2 favourite was always towards the head of affairs under Darragh O’Keeffe and was ridden out in the closing stages to see off the challenge of Sherodan by a length and three quarters.

“Darragh told me that they had done a great job with the ground when I spoke to him last night so we were never not going to run, but he wouldn’t really be a summer horse,” Gibney revealed.

“We’ll see what Derek says but he might have a break and he’ll definitely handle winter ground. He should have no problem staying further in time.”

Narrowly beaten at Downpatrick earlier in the month, 5/6 favourite Ring O Roses gained compensation in the second divide of that maiden hurdle.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained five-year-old, owned by Mrs Liz Prowting, tracked front-running market rival The Last Mardi before mastering that opponent after the last with three lengths between the pair at the line.

“She was just touched off the last day when a mistake at the last cost her, and it’s great to get a win with her,” said winning rider Rachael Blackmore. “She’s still quite green but has a lovely attitude and is still learning.

“She does spend a bit of time in the air over her hurdles and she’s still a little backward in herself, but she’s exciting and there’s more to come.”

MEDIA Naranja (6/5 favourite), trained by Gordon Elliott for Bective Stud, came out on top in the KPMG Hurdle for four-year-olds.

Prominent throughout, the daughter of Yeats was tackled by market rival Custom Of The Sea at the second last but found more to see off that one’s challenge by two and a quarter lengths.“She’s a lovely progressive filly to ride and liked the good ground,” commented winning rider Corey McGivern. “She’s really tough and stays galloping so I made plenty of use of her and her jumping is very good.”

The 11/10 favourite Arctic Ambition followed up his win at Limerick four days earlier in the the first divide of the FBD Handicap Hurdle.

Double

The son of Arctic Cosmos, owned by the Go Go Go Partnership, was completing a double for Gordon Elliott who sent out five winners in all over the two days at Ballinrobe.

Given a patient ride by Danny Gilligan, the winner still had plenty to do when jumping the last in a share of fourth but squeezed through between horses on the run-in to score by a length and three quarters from Glenmalure Lodge.

“I told Danny that I’d rather he got beaten for coming too late than too soon because he doesn’t do a lot when he gets to the front,” Elliott commented. “With all the boys out injured, Danny’s taking every chance with both hands. He’s not just getting the rides because he’s claiming seven, he’s getting them because he’s taking all his chances.

The second split of the FBD Handicap Hurdle was won by Iridescent (8/1), trained by Jonathan Fogarty for the Touch Of Luck Syndicate.

Having hit the front before the last, rider Kieran Callaghan had an anxious moment at that final flight when the winner overjumped, causing him to briefly lose an iron, but he got back on an even keel and the nine-year-old stayed on well to score by five lengths from Ciankyle.

Callaghan said: “He just came up out of my hands at the last and went a bit sideways. My foot just slipped out (of the iron) but thankfully we were alright. Mikey and Jonathan (Fogarty) had said to me that he gallops all day and they were dead right.”