Once again a horse racing prominently over the minimum trip at Tipperary kept up the gallop to take the honours. An Saighdiur and Michael Cleere forged on from two furlongs out and got first run on Balmot Mast to win by a length and a quarter.

Andrew Slattery trains the winner and he said: “I wanted to run in a premier handicap at Dundalk on Sunday week, but the lads wouldn’t let me go there as Tipperary are playing Kilkenny in an All-Ireland hurling semi-final then!

“His next run could be in the Ayr Gold Cup or Silver Cup, whichever we get in to. We’ll enter him anyway. He’s probably a better horse when he’s a bit fresher.”

Donie O’Connell who won an All-Ireland with Tipperary is part of the Men Of Forty Eight Syndicate who own An Saighdiur.

The winner was returned at 5/1 with the runner-up 8/1. Calm Bay and Phebes Wish were non-runners as both were lame which reduced the field in this five furlong handicap to seven.

(on course reporting by Alan Magee)