Even on testing ground, two miles around Thurles is a speed test, and there were still eight horses with a chance in the straight in the opening Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Beginners Chase. It turned out well for favourite backers in the end as the Andrew Leigh ridden Blazing Sonnet got the job done.

With her main market rival Kandinski (brought down) gone as early as the first fence, the Willie Austin owned, trained and bred dual hurdles scorer, Blazing Sonnet chased the pace. She moved up when she hit the fifth last but that did little to impede her progress.

From the back of the last, the 5/2 market-leader got the better of fellow County Tipperary-trained runner, Kilcarry Bridge by a length and a quarter as just sixteen lengths covered the first ten home.

"She finally won one but she was never too far off in fairness to her.

"She'll run next at the Hennessy meeting in Leopardstown in a mares handicap hurdle.

"She's had plenty of racing and she'll be given a break after that. We'll wait for better ground," reported Austin in the aftermath.

R.P. McNally, rider of Budwiser trained by Paul W. Flynn, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount ran free in the early stages and made up ground before tiring in the closing stages.

(TW & EM)