Waterways H´cap H´dle of €275,000.00 4-y-o plus 2m.

1st - €17,902.50, 2nd - €5,500.00, 3rd - €2,750.00, 4th - €1,100.00 14 Ran

Bottom weight Northern Alliance provided Tony Martin with a double and did so by just a head in a photo finish from the unlucky Splurge in what was an eventful handicap hurdle. The winner was settled in the rear of mid division early on and then went on to hardly raise a leg at the final flight of hurdles but survived that to rally under Robbie Colgan and hold off Spurge who came late under a patient Ruby Walsh.

It was a case that Walsh had to be patient more than anything else as he struggled to find room at stages and never really got a clear run. He pulled the ever consistent six-year-old even wider than his original position to just fail when all out.

Raise Your Heart is held in very high regard by connections and on his handicap hurdling debut he was unlucky to suffer some serious interference between the final two hurdles which no doubt cost him the race and he should certainly be kept on the ride side of next time out.

Due Respect never got past the tape and he refused to race for Roger Loughran which was disappointing considering his promising run at Naas last time out.

A field of just 15 went to post with P'tit Fute withdrawn after the first race by Francis Flood due to ground conditions and Zitenka was ruled out by Philip Rothwell due to the horse having sore shins.

Davy Condon rider of Erra Go On reported his mount hung badly and felt lame so was pulled up. After an examination by the Turf Club vet he was found to be post race normal.