Havana Notion followed up last year's win in the same race when staying on best under Hugh Horgan to take the Botanica International Apprentice Handicap at Tipperary.

Also ridden by Horgan 12 months ago, the four-year-old was continuing the recent good run of Curragh based trainer Johnny Feane.

Despite high numbers often coming to the fore in sprint races at this track, it was Havana Notion in stall 2 and Ginormous in 1 that had the race between them from the off.

Wesley Joyce made the running on the latter, closely tracked by Horgan on Havana Notion. Ginormous came under pressure over a furlong out, allowing Havana Notion to press on to take the spoils by one-and-a-half lengths.

Favourite Cuban Grey 7-4f) was a late withdrawal.

Johnny Feane said: “He likes it here and won this race last year. The horse beside him helped him and then he was on his own for a bit which suited as he doesn’t like a lot of horses around him.”

Additional reporting by Alan Magee.