Smoking Aces has his big day

The three mile five furlong Caffrey's Bar And Restaurant Of Batterstown Handicap Chase was understandably run at a gentle enough gallop (8 minutes 13.40 was the time) given the conditions and two quickened away from the rest up the straight.

This duo were the first-time blinkered favourite Smoking Aces and Portrait King The former got the better of the battle from the last under Mark Walsh to score by a length. They left the always prominent The Book Thief fifteen lengths behind in third.

Winning trainer Tom Taaffe said: "I'm delighted he won. He has broken our hearts but he won well today in fairness.

"He got out of bed on the right side today. Mark was good on him – he took his time and he was either going to get there in his hands or not.

"I told him to hunt around and see how he was going after three miles.

"He has an entry in the Paddy Power." (GC & EM)