Stand Off appreciated the drying ground conditions when successful in the ultra-competitive Cawley Furniture Novice Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

A maximum field of 22 runners went to post for this two and a half miles event, and there were plenty still in contention early in the straight.

Mark Walsh produced the 11/1 chance to challenge approaching the final flight, and Philip Fenton’s charge got the better of Fox Fearless by three quarters of a length as the pair drew clear on the run-in. Regina Dracones kept on best of the remainder to take third, with well-backed 9/2 favourite Breakeven completing the places in fourth.

Fenton said, “He’s a big horse and probably a chaser in the making. This is a bit of practice for him.

“He doesn’t give up too easy so I was confident going to the last that he would pull it out.

“Mark had said a while back on better ground there would be big improvement in this horse. He seems to manage that nicer ground.”

Fenton is hopeful rather than confident about Atlantic Shore in tomorrow’s BoyleSports Irish Grand National saying, “There is prize-money down to tenth place and if we could get a bit of that I’d be happy.

“His chances have deteriorated in the past week with the ground drying out. He’ll take his chance but any rain would be a help.”