Harper Valley made his name when beating Franchoek over hurdles at
Cheltenham in December and proved once again he is a useful tool as he
scored at Dundalk.
Some 5lb lower than when a beaten favourite on his last start on the level,
the four-year-old soon put 15-8 favourite Adare Manor in his place in the
Jack Doran Motors Handicap, coming home with four and a half lengths in hand
under Declan McDonogh.
He will now head to Aintree or Punchestown, according to his trainer Gordon
Elliott, with preference for the former subject to suitable ground
conditions.
McDonogh picked up a one-day suspension for careless riding after an incident soon after the start involving Ghostmilk.
McDonogh was narrowly denied a double when Dermot Weld's Prince Erik edged out his mount Kempes right on the line in the Panda Waste Services Race.
Cochlear turned what had looked a competitive Styles & Beauty Magazine
Handicap into a procession.
A winner under the floodlights over this mile trip last time out, Wayne
Lordan's mount made light of a 6lb-higher mark as he fairly sprinted clear
of Rockazar to complete a double on the card for trainer Tommy Stack.
Six lengths was the margin of victory and it would be no surprise to see the
6-1 winner turned out again quickly in search of the hat-trick.
Stack's Munsters Call returned from a lengthy lay-off in the Crazy Flowers
Direct Handicap and looked like he had never been away in powering to an
equally-taking success.
Billy Lee was in the plate and his mount picked up readily when given the
office to score at 8-1.
Mary Josephine brought solid form for this level to the Hillgrove Hotel
Median Auction Maiden Stakes and duly broke her duck with a decisive
success.
The 7-2 joint-favourite - second on three of her four previous starts and
third in the other - scored by a length and three-quarters from Ashka.
The Pat Martin-trained Donard Lodge rewarded those who supported her into
7-2 favourite for the Crazy Clean Handicap with a length-and-a-half success
under Fran Berry.
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