Michael Halford has made a bright start to the new Flat season and his Hawkhill s win in the www.limerickraces.ie Online Special Packages Handicap was the Kildare trainer's third winner this term.

Ridden by the very capable Gary Carroll, the daughter of Hawk Wing chased the leaders before eventually getting to the front inside the final furlong, responding well to a typically strong drive from Carroll, to hold Time Machine by half a length.

Afterwards Halford stated “Hawkhill won a maiden well here this time last year but things went wrong after that. He was probably a bit weaker than I thought he actually was but the winter break has done him good and he has come back stronger now. He loves that yielding ground and is big enough to go hurdling later on.”

Hawkhill was as big as 12/1 in the morning with one bookmaker but was returned the well-backed 9/2jf.