www.tramore-racecourse.com M´dn H´dle of €8,500.00 6-y-o 2m.

1st - €5,873.50, 2nd - €1,445.00, 3rd - €680.00, 4th - €425.00 15 Ran

A change of tactics and better ground brought about the improvement in The Man Himself according to connections.

Mick Darcy excelled again on a front-runner and had his rivals in trouble over the last two.

He stayed on well to repel the late surges of Karlu and Ballymahon. A handicap at Punchestown is next on the card for the winner who will be kept on the go during the summer.

Karlu tracked the leaders before moving closer running to two out. He was disputing second over the last and stayed on well on the run-in to close on the winner.

He has a fair enough rating of 110 and should be up to landing a contest of this standard at some point.

Ballymahon (6/1) attracted support from 12/1 this morning and ran well. He couldn't go with the winner after the second last but stayed on well again on the run-in.

He had been fourth in a couple of fair events around Clonmel previously and it will be interesting to see what mark he gets now.

Nexthingwas worked his way into fifth before the last and kept on reasonably well. He finished much closer to Ballymahon this time than he had when eighth at Clonmel on his last start.

The disappointment was 6/4f Shady Willow, who raced midfield throughout but failed to get a serious blow in. He stayed on to a moderate sixth over the last and was never a danger.

Allez Les Bleu (5/1 to 4/1) ruined his chance when free at Thurles last time and again failed to settle, fading out of it from the second last.