Happy days for Arthur Fonzarelli

The Extra Places On The BoyleSports App Maiden Hurdle (Div I) went to Arthur Fonzarelli (7/1) who benefitted from some quick thinking at the start by jockey Rachel Blackmore.

She nicked a few lengths over her rivals when the tapes went up and quickly established a healthy advantage.

The leader was challenged in the home straight by General Clermont (33/1) with 1/2 favourite Belfast Banter tracking the pair in a close third.

The winning rider had kept a bit up her sleeve, though, and her mount found more to beat the market leader by two and three quarter lengths, with General Clermont another three quarters of a length back in third spot.

Arthur Fonzarelli, trained by Henry de Bromhead, had suffered three falls from five previous starts over hurdles, although had finished second at Roscommon last year.

Winning rider Rachael Blackmore said: "Henry always liked him and while I wasn't bursting with confidence, he reminded me of the days he had worked well at home; he did what we thought he could do today.

"He jumped a lot better today and was very straight. He’s done plenty of jumping at home and there’s a lot of work been put into him on the jumping end of things and it has really helped today.

"I think the penny has dropped now and he should improve again."

“The ground is yielding but quite dead.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes