Aranhill Chief jumps the last ahead of Sir Abbott© Photo Healy Racing
< Aranhill Chief repeated his victory of 12 months ago in the thetote.com Connacht National Handicap Chase at Roscommon.
Always to the fore under Kevin Sexton, the 14-1 chance looked in trouble when a host of challengers loomed up on his heels, with Sir Abbot emerging as the main danger.
Aranhill Chief wouldn't lie down, however, and after jumping the last with a marginal lead, he stuck his neck out to repel Sir Abbot by a length and a quarter.
Some of the gloss was taken off the Dermot Hughes Car Sales Novice Chase when former Triumph Hurdle hero Tiger Roll was taken out, but his handler Gordon Elliott still had the odds-on favourite Chatham House Rule
The grey dictated terms until Gambling Girl made an early move down the back and Jessie Harrington's 13-8 shot never looked in any trouble from that point, eventually passing the post with 14 lengths in hand.
Harrington was responsible for red-hot favourite Sandymount Duke in the Ladies Day At Roscommon On July 4th Beginners Chase and he did it well, like Gambling Girl, in the hands of Robbie Power.
A National Stakes entry isn't tilting at windmills with Branch Line, judging by his successful debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Auction Maiden.
Well supported at 7-2, Andy Slattery's youngster cruised up to hit the front over a furlong out and saw out his race well to beat Randall Stevens by a length and three-quarters.< Munaashid is still a work in progress and his touch of class carried him home in front in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
Placed behind Epsom Derby third Idaho on his final outing at two, Dermot Weld's colt was sent off the even-money favourite for his comeback and took it up just inside the final furlong en route to a two-and-a-half-length defeat of Benny Paret < Sister Slew (9-1) won on turf for the first time in almost three years in the Ballaghaderreen Handicap, but division one and two of the OCR Waste Management Handicap had to be abandoned on safety grounds.
