Third in the trainer standings, in the recently released 2018 Irish greyhound racing statistics, Paul Hennessy bridged a gap going back to November 2015 to send out a winner on the horse racing front, his Heaven Help Us (14s into 11s) doing the business in the Navan finale.

Heaven Help Us' half-sister Thywillbedone triumphed in a Punchestown three-year-old hurdle in November 2015, and Hennessy hasn't had a huge amount of runners in the interim, concentrating on his main business in the dog world.

The Gowran man had to rule Jaytee Yankee, winner of the last two runnings of the BoyleSports Champion Stakes, out of his first round engagement in the Gold Cup at Shelbourne Park tonight, due to injury, but he got a lovely pick-me-up here.

Providing Tipperary rider Niall Prendergast (3 in point-to-points) with a first success on the racecourse proper, the twice previously raced Yeats mare Heaven Help Us collared odds-on favourite Larquebuse near the line for a three parts of a length win in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race.

"It is some buzz as I bred her and have her all the way through. Niall Prendergast is a wonderful young man and I couldn’t praise him highly enough. He comes in every morning, and rides her out," said Hennessy.

“Danny (Mullins) rode her last week in a schooling bumper in Tipperary and said with a bit of luck you will be placed. He gave Niall a few instructions today and it’s all worked out great.

“She’s a dote and her mother was exactly the same. I know from the greyhound game to never be afraid of anyone. You just keep trying.”

(AM & EM)