Greyscape got off the mark in first time blinkers as he took the opening race of the three day Bellewstown Festival, the Irish Stallions Farms EBF Auction Maiden.

The Patrick Prendergast trained gelding was having his sixth career start this evening and he went off a 9/4 chance having gone close on a couple of occasions previously.

Sent straight into the lead by Robbie Burke the son of Dark Angel was ridden in the straight and kept on well in the closing stages to score by two and a quarter lengths. Zeb's Fantasy was sent off the even money favourite and she had to settle for second under Niall McCullagh for Ross O'Sullivan.

Prendergast, who was recording his first winner since early May, said afterwards: "I never thought that I would have run him so much and it would have taken him so long to win a maiden.

"He was very, very badly behaved. He had a bad temperament and was coltish. After we gelded him it took a while for his testosterone levels to drop.

"Now he's going the way he was early in the spring again.

"I spoke to Niall (McCullagh) beforehand and he really fancied his but I said she'd want to be a stakes filly!

"I ran him over seven furlongs at Roscommon but did that for his mind. He's a fast horse.

"Experience is a huge thing around here."

Additional reporting by Gary Carson