Ashqar off the mark for Gilligan and Enright

The opening kilbegganraces.com Maiden Hurdle went to Ashqar (11/2) who got up on the line for a head victory over Grange Walk

The Aga Khan-bred 5-y-o ran some good races under both codes for now-retired trainer Gerry Lynch and had finished sixth behind Bua Boy at the Galway Festival on his second outing for new connections.

Phillip Enright delivered him with a well-timed challenge after the last to gain a breakthrough success. City Limits was third, a place ahead of 6/4 favourite Curlew Hill

Winning trainer Paul Gilligan said: “A lot of thanks goes to Gerry Lynch who got a good few horses sent to us when he retired.

“He wasn’t winning out of turn but ran a couple of nice races and we put him back in a maiden here.

"Phillip is after giving him a great ride and good ground is vital to him. I fancied him a bit at Galway but the ground went against him.

“He’s first reserve in Ballinrobe on Monday (over 3m 1f) and might go there if he gets in.”

Additional reporting by Alan Magee