J P McManus doubled his score in race two at Galway, the Diamond Vision Novice Hurdle, as L'Ami an expensive purchase in his day and now a cross-country competitor in the main, showed his younger rivals a clean pair of heels under Tom Ryan.
Like One Fine Morning in the first, L'Ami was always to the forefront in this two and a half miler and he appeared to have the upper-hand on the heavily-backed favourite Asiya (3/1 this morning into 11/8) when that one got rid of Bryan Cooper at the last. It was left to the easy-to-back Askanna (evens this morning out to 5/2) to fill the runner-up spot, three and a half lengths adrift of the winner.
Frank Berry said of L'Ami: "He enjoyed himself and jumped great. Tom let him stride on down the hill and got them at it. He always had that bit of class."
Enda Bolger, the winning trainer said: "The rain came at just the right time for him."
Meanwhile Barry O'Neill, commented of Askanna, who lost her unbeaten record on outing number six: "They just didn't go quite fast enough for my lady today but she stayed at it well up the hill."
