GWAN Tadhg (5/2 favourite) made it three wins in four starts for Edward O’Grady with a hard fought win in the Randox Handicap Hurdle.

The Jonathan O’Grady-owned six-year-old was held up by Mark McDonagh and made his ground up towards Gladiatorial going into the dip. He got the better of a protracted battle with that rival up the hill to score by a half length.

Bar coming up against the well-backed Anyway at this track, this would be a four-timer for the son of Frozen Fire, and his rider suggested he was winning in spite of a soft surface.

He said: “The ground went a bit soft for us, so it probably wasn’t the best of him today. He kind of laboured at the finish, but it was nice for him to win again.

“If you look at his runs, they have all been on ground or better than that. Bellewstown was good ground and he was very impressive there. I’d say we would probably struggle for good ground in Listowel.”

Gavin Cromwell’s Fathom Two (7/2) has been in good form and he converted that form into a win by collaring long-time leader Gone For Tea up the straight in the opening Toals Bookmakers Maiden Hurdle.

The Donal Boyle-owned gelding emerged from the pack to challenge Gone For Tea, jumping the last upsides the Peter Fahey runner, and Keith Donoghue always looked confident he’d get there. He did cross over to the rail once in front, prompting a stewards inquiry, but the result was never likely to change, with a length-and-three-quarter winning margin.

THERE was a dramatic finish to the Downpatrick Living High Street Handicap Chase as Some Dove (6/1) and favourite C’est Quelqu’un (11/10) dead-heated with both looking set to score at different stages.

The Gordon Elliott-trained C’est Quelqu’un travelled and jumped smoothly but he was awkward at the last and probably didn’t help his rider up the hill. Some Dove came from further back for Rachael Blackmore, emerging as the big threat coming down the hill. It looked like she’d won on the line, but the camera angle was misleading and the stewards quickly called a dead-heat.

C’est Quelqu’un, owned by James Power, was scoring for the second time, but his first for Elliott. He has been in good form since joining Cullentra and can continue to improve. Some Dove has been in good form also, placing three times prior to this. She is lightly enough raced to score at this level again.

Elliott and Kennedy had scored earlier on the card when Ringdufferin (9/2) more or less led from start to finish to give local owner Alan Dunlop a win in the Toals Bookmakers Rated Novice Hurdle.

Kennedy was left to his own devices and held a comfortable lead until the dip when he was challenged by Luminous Light. That rival looked a big danger at the last, but Kennedy exacted more from his five-year-old and kept on well for a four-length score.

The five-year-old found only Reverend Hubert too good in a maiden hurdle here on his previous run and has steadily improved on each of his last three starts.

Elliott looked set for a hat-trick in the concluding Caleb And Ezra Starkey INH Flat Race but his Western Fold ultimately disappointed and it was Noel Kelly’s Wreckingball Billy who came through to win nicely under Oran McGill.

Shauna Kelly’s four-year-old son of Youmzain looks a big imposing type and he had the writing on the wall for the favourite as they turned in, and kept up to his work up the hill, he scored by five lengths from the 80/1 shot Cap Bernat who came through for second.

MORRICONE (5/2 favourite) got his career going with a good second at Tramore and he went one better for Mags Mullins with a comfortable success in the M B McGrady & Co. Accountants Handicap Hurdle.

Danny Mullins was content to sit well off the pace set by Wee Jerry, and he gradually made his ground up to the leaders on the second circuit. It was between his mount and Cullenwaine turning for home, but Morricone found plenty more and came right away to win by six lengths for owner Kieran Stokes, a friend of the winning rider, who said: “We always thought he was a nice horse and he had a lot of time off.

“Hopefully the way he is improving now, he might fulfil some of the early potential we would have hoped he would have had.

“He’ll handle slow ground through the winter, but I don’t think it is that bad out there. Maybe when you are riding the winner it is a bit easier!”

The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase went to Finians Row (22/1) who made all the running for Conor Maxwell and Dermot McLoughlin.

The Anne McCartan and Frances Smyth-owned seven-year-old seemed to enjoy himself under a chance of tactics, and while the Jenny Flex looked a big danger to him before the last, he kept on gamely to deny that rival, with favourite Ceanndana denied on his hat-trick bid in third.

“He is one that overraces a little bit in between them (fences) and he was doing it, but he was pricking ears at every fence and just filling himself up,” said Maxwell. “I kind of got a bit of a freebie and it worked out well. He has good placed form and always looks one or two out that he is going to do something and doesn’t really get home.”