High Stakes and James Walsh pictured on their way to victory© Photo Healy Racing
High Stakes transferred his point-to-point form to the racecourse proper, as he ran out an impressive winner of the last at Wexford, the Killinick Point-To-Point INH Flat Race.
Four from five 'between the flags' since making his debut in September of last year, his sole defeat came at Loughnamore in October when a length second to subsequent Cheltenham eighth Mr Mantilla.
His most recent success came at Stradbally in December and making his track debut this afternoon, he was sent to post the 10/11 favourite.
Ridden by James Walsh, son of winning owner/trainer John, the seven-year-old bay led and disputed in the early stages, before gaining an outright lead with just over a circuit to race.
The son of Scorpion had all his rivals off the bridle from the three furlong pole and he soon powered clear in the straight, going on to register an easy eighteen length win. Flurry Yeats (16/1) was best of the rest, while there was an even larger gap of thirty-eight lengths back to third, Fame Valley (10/1).
The well-backed Jeremy Central (14s early and from 13/2 to 9/2 on-course) finished fourth.
John Walsh, who was recording his first track success, said: "He is a fair bit of a horse. We were expecting him to run well with the form he has. He probably needed the run but he is a decent horse.
"He is for sale but we will see what happens. He could go for another bumper now.
"We have six or seven in at the moment and are based in Tinahely."
