Knockfierna completed a four-timer when taking the Grade 2 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final and, in the process, aided Davy Russell in his bid to take the jump jockey's title for the first time.
Absent since scoring in testing conditions at the Limerick Christmas meeting, the six-year-old coped well with the good ground here and benefitted from a well-timed challenge by Russell – now six behind Paul Townend (76-70) in the title race.
The second winner for sire Flemensfirth on the afternoon, the 6/1 chance headed Golden Sunbird (7/2) just after the last and kept on well to beat that rival by a length and a half.
Shop DJ (7/2) was a further seven lengths adrift in third, while the easy to back favourite Our Girl Salley (9/4-3/1) dropped away tamely in the straight to finish sixth. She was found to be lame afterwards.
Winning trainer Charles Byrnes said: “She's obviously very good. She tied up badly at Limerick last time but her previous run at Cork was much better and based on that we were hopeful today. It was a very competitive race today, and we're delighted to win. It's unlikely she'll go to Punchestown, and we'll sent her over fences next season.”
