Paul Carberry played a major role in the opening three jump races at Roscommon beginning in the Athleague Maiden Hurdle when he scored aboard the Noel Meade-trained Snob Wells, but not before giving his supporters a scare close home.
The 4/7 chance edged to the front after the penultimate flight with Carberry hardly moving a muscle but his cheekiness nearly backfired in the dying strides as newcomer In The Forge and David Evans came close to upsetting the party.
'Paul said he didn't see the runner-up on his outside until very late but thankfully our horse found a little in the final strides when he needed to.' said the Navan trainer. 'He emptied very quickly at Galway but he was entitled to win that race and he jumped well,' Meade concluded
Michael Halford, who saddled the runner-up, was responsible for the warm favourite Chanoud in the next, again partnered by the Meathman, but light-weight Ansari battled on well for Mark Madden to collar the market leader close home for victory.
Shouts of 'Up Monaghan' echoed around the winners enclosure from jubilant trainer Oliver Brady, who trains Ansari for main patron Rita Shah. 'This was Mark Madden's first ride for me and he carried out instructions real well. I had a good bet on him and the winnings has paid for the horse twice over, ' Brady revealed.
The Shannon Handicap Chase produced a classic dual from the last involving that man Carberry again on Noel Meade's River Pilot and champion rider Ruby Walsh, who came out on top when just prevailing by another short head on the Frances Crowley-trained The Dell. The eight-year-old was recording his third win over fences.
John Oxx introduced a winning newcomer in the shape of Nebulae, a daughter of Unfuwain owned by Sheikh Mohammed, in the Curraghboy Maiden.
Not ignored in the betting market after touching 4/1 in places, the full-sister to 1994 Irish Oaks heroine Bolas was eventually sent off a 5/2 chance before holding the persistent challenge of favourite Turtle Dancer by a diminishing half-a-length.
Assistant Jim O'Neill reported, 'She had a few niggly little problems and was big and backward but she goes on that ground (officially soft) and we'll see what sort of a handicap rating she gets after that.'
Easiest winner of the afternoon came in the concluding winners bumper when Tim Doyle's Hunters Bar justified strong support from 3/1 to 7/4 when romping home by fourteen lengths under Davy Russell.
