Brehon Star recovered his poise to win a battle with Lesssaidthebetter in the Heinz Pollmeier Memorial Handicap Chase in Tramore.

This was his handicap chase debut, indeed his first start over fences, and he led narrowly at the penultimate fence, but got it wrong and pecked on landing which gave Lesssaidthebetter his chance.

The two were locked together at the final fence which Brehon Star cleared in good style. He got the better of the challenger in the closing stages to prevail by a length and a-quarter at 11/2, having been backed in from 8/1, with Darragh O'Keeffe in the plate.

This was his first run for trainer Ian Donoghue who said: "We only got him Monday morning, so we can't take any of the credit for it really, Shane Crawley has done all the work with him. Shane was kind of getting tired bringing him around the country and he wasn't running well.

"We knew he jumped well and that's all he did this week, he led the breakers schooling. He jumped poles, ditches, fences and it just seems to have sweetened him up. He likes jumps and, while it wasn't a great race, he battled hard after making that mistake at the second last. He showed a bit of heart. I think jumping is key to him, he does enjoy it. 

"Keith (Donoghue) couldn't do the weight and, when we were thinking about jockeys, we said either Danny (Mullins) or Darragh. We thought they would suit him as they get horses travelling and he seemed to be falling asleep during his races. 

"The claiming hurdle at Bellewstown was the plan and I'd say the boys (Pipe Down Syndicate) will still sell him. I'd say he would be a fun horse in England."

Additional reporting by Donal Murphy