Joe Joe Walsh secured a fourth win with Apache Gold since the Golden Snake seven-year-old joined his Doneraile yard back in 2013, the Connor King-ridden 5/1 joint favourite taking division one of the Dan Dooley Ford Centre Handicap at Tipperary.

Eventual third home Hard Times was the closer down the outer, but otherwise it seemed to pay to be on the pace.

Apache Gold chased the leaders, and he headed front-runner Cash Or Casualty a furlong out, before going on to beat that fellow market-leader by three parts of a length. It was the same gap back to the aforementioned Hard Times in third.

"That's his fifth win and I thought he had a very good run at Limerick. However he wants a cut (in the ground) and didn't get it all summer," explained Walsh.

Apache Gold is now on five career victories, the maiden win achieved when under the care of Patrick Breen in 2012.

C. O'Donoghue, rider of Pontificate trained by John Joseph Murphy, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount moved poorly throughout.

(TW & EM)