Ideal Pal made it a hat-trick of wins in the Play The Tote Jackpot Handicap, making all to score under Nathan Crosse for Michael Mulvany.

Having got off the mark at Cork last month, the son of Tough As Nails quickly followed-up four days later at Sligo.

As short as 5/1 in early shows, the grey gelding was surprisingly easy to back this evening, eventually going off an 11/1 chance.

Sent straight to the front by Crosse, he was pushed along and ridden entering the straight, keeping on well in the closing stages to repel the challenge of Insane Bolt (7/2) by three parts of a length.

Colin Keane was aboard the runner-up for Johnny Murtagh, while the 3/1 favourite Xcite who briefly challenged from the two furlong pole, was another four and a half lengths back in third.

"He's a horse that's improving all the time," said Mulvany.

"I was happy enough with how the handicapper treated him for the last day as he's going forward the whole time and filling into himself.

"The Friday night in Galway was the plan but we'll just have to wait and see how the handicapper treats him now.

"Down the line I can see him making up into a serious three-year-old hurdler.

"I trained the sire and the dam and knowing that breeding, the softer the ground the better they get."

STEWARDS REPORT

W.J. Lee, rider of Faerie Laws trained by W. McCreery, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount reared leaving stalls.

The Stewards received a report from the Clerk of the Scales, Ms. Colleen Murphy, that D.N. Curran, rider of Mianna trained by S.M. Duffy, weighed-in at 1.3lbs overweight. Evidence was heard from the rider and trainer concerned and from valet, M. Cleary. The rider concerned accepted the report from the Clerk of the Scales, which he stated was due to the girth being changed after he weighed-out. Mr. Duffy stated that the girth was changed due to the initial girth being too small when he went to saddle his charge and for safety reasons he required a larger girth. He acknowledged that he did not reweigh the rider with the new girth and accepted full responsibility for the rider weighing in overweight. Mr. Cleary confirmed that a second girth was requested by the trainer. Having considered the evidence the Stewards made no finding against the rider under Rule 231 but found the trainer in breach of Rule 198 (vi) and fined him E150.

Additional reporting by Eamonn Murphy