Luke Dempsey's star has really been in the ascendency in recent weeks, and the talented claimer recorded another notable success aboard Thunder Zone in the CIT Rag Week Hurdle at Cork.

Dempsey, who enjoyed a memorable victory earlier this month on Killultagh Vic at the Cheltenham Festival, was taking over here from the suspended Bryan Cooper in the Gigginstown silks.

The Shamardal gelding was well beaten last time in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham but found this much softer ground and extra half-mile much more to his liking.

The 9/2 outsider of three made all and asserted after the penultimate flight.

A mistake at the last made little difference as the four-year-old kept on well on the run-in to beat 8/11 favourite Sadler's Risk by seven lengths. Aklan dropped away tamely in the straight finishing a further 26 lengths adrift in third.

Winning trainer Gordon Elliott said, "Things didn't work out for him at Cheltenham and he went so wide, he may as well have stayed at home in his stable. The soft ground suited today and Luke used his head and used his initiative on him.

"He'll be entered up until the ground dries up and won't want it too quick."

(TW & AM)