Easca Peasca up for a battle in Gowran Park

Easca Peasca rallied to great effect to win the the first division of the Joe Bollard Memorial Maiden in Gowran Park.

He made most but was stalked by 11/10 favourite Showbusiness who was less than fluent at the third last.

After they straightened up for home, Showbusiness took a narrow lead from Easca Peasca at the second last. The latter fiddled it and was soon ridden in a close second.

Easca Peasca also came under the whip before the last at which he was fractionally in front. Again, it wasn't Easca Peasca's best jump, however, he grittily stayed on well to get back in front in the closing stages under Sean O'Keeffe.

Showbusiness battled for the spoils but was a neck in arrears at the line. The pair had the race to themselves from two out and it was Joven who plugged on nine lengths further back in third at 12/1 from 20s.

Trainer Brian Hamilton said: “I knew he’d win a maiden hurdle somewhere and he’s stayed on well there today.

“We’ll probably look for a novice handicap. I’d say he wants a bit more ease in the ground but the ground today probably helped him to get home. He ran well here before to be second when the ground was near bottomless.

“I’d say he’d jump a fence in time even though he’s small as he’s a great little horse to jump.

“One of the syndicate members Maurice King, a local vet in Downpatrick who was held in very high regard, passed away on Wednesday but the family said we should go ahead and run. It was fitting that he went there and won today.”

Easca Peasca won a handicap on the Flat for John Oxx in October last year.

Additional reporting by Alan Magee