Oliver and Hayes limber up for Donny

An attractive big son of Singspiel, Cut Me Loose has struggled to find the winning thread but in first-time blinkers he got off the mark at the eighth time of asking in the Arkle Memorial Statue Fund Nursery Handicap at Dundalk.

Stable number one Chris Hayes was aboard Andy Oliver's juvenile and he toughed it out well to see off Golden Flower (bidding to give Ger Lyons a treble) by half a length.

Andy Oliver trains the 8/1 victor for himself and Richard Pegum and he revealed: "He really needed the good ground. He was unlucky here before when he got hampered coming out of the stalls.

"The blinkers helped him to focus a bit and it was an intelligent ride by Chris as he made use of him.

"We'll keep him at it on this surface. He's one to look forward to next year."

Meanwhile of his Racing Post Trophy candidate, First Cornerstone, Oliver was quite upbeat commenting: "It's not been ideal that he hasn't run for a while.

"I don't like to be too bullish but if everything is right with the horse he should give a very good account of himself." (AM & EM)