Due Reward (4/5 into 4/6 on track) made a winning start over racecourse fences in the Plaza Hotel Beginners Chase at Killarney.

The Galway hurdle second placer had some experience in point-to-points at the beginning of his career, and typical of a Henry de Bromhead inmate he jumped assuredly with his attentions turned to this game under Rachael Blackmore. Jack Dillinger (9/1 into 11/2) and Due Reward were battling it out when the latter got the final fence badly wrong.

That left Due Reward in control for what was ultimately a six and a half length win.

Twenty six lengths back in third were the dead-heating third placers, Ivanovich Gorbatov and The Holy One

“It definitely helped (Jack Dillinger’s bad final fence mistake),” said Blackmore.

“I still hadn’t fully gone for my lad though.”

(EM)