Ballyvoile battles best at Limerick

The ex-Margaret Flynn-trained The Knoxs has been doing her proud cross-channel since joining Howard Johnson and one of the Stradbally Co. Waterford trainer's current inmates, Ballyvoile further delighted the Deise outfit by landing the I.N.H. Stallion Owners European Breeders Fund Novice Hurdle under Ken Whelan.

This chestnut determinedly fought off Mr Clyde up the straight to score by a length with a further five lengths back to the gambled-on Kusadasi Another five and a half lengths back fourth of the five was the very uneasy favourite For The Staff (4/7 in the morning out to 11/10). The market-leader was later found to be coughing.

Flynn commented: "He's had a break and we were getting him ready for a handicap at Cheltenham when he bruised a foot. He doesn't take a lot of work though and we knew he was well but we weren't expecting to beat Willie Mullins' horse.

"He is consistent and tough and will be better on better ground. I'd suppose he'll go for something similar now."

Ballyvoile won on his last outing, in a Tipperary maiden hurdle on October 6th and that just happened to be Ken Whelan's last winner too.