Early wedding present for Moran

Robbie Moran received an early wedding present (marrying Kate Molony on Friday) as he recorded his first winner of the season aboard the Leslie Young (also first win of the new campaign) trained Brian’s Express in the Easyfix Rubber Products Maiden Hurdle.

The six-year-old son of Alderbrook was beaten just over ten lengths by Here For The Craic on his penultimate start over the course and distance, before disappointing on his next outing at Downpatrick, finishing a well beaten fifth behind Smiler.

Sent off a 20/1 (opened at 25’s) chance this evening he was prominent throughout and raced mainly in third.

He hit the front after the third last and he was ridden approaching the two out, keeping on well from there to see off the challenge of Bashful Beauty by half a length.

The runner-up was returned at 8/1 under Adrian Heskin for Norman Lee while Poetic Lord kept on to take third a further three and three parts of a length back under Mark Enright for Dessie Hughes at 9/2. Cassells Rock went off the 2/1 favourite under Barry Geraghty for Tony Martin but he could only manage a disappointing sixth.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson