Different tactics but the same result as in-foal Lady Olwyn landed her second win in three days for trainer John McConnell in the two and a half mile handicap hurdle.

Barry Geraghty was on board tonight at Sligo. He was content to sit in behind the pace in sixth, before jumping into the lead two out and keeping the mare up to her work after the last to record a length and a quarter success.

She may have been a 16/1 outsider when adopting front-running tactics to win at Tramore on Saturday evening, but she was expected to do the job tonight and was the 9/4 favourite here. Sparky McGovern and Riotman showed a return to form in second and third respectively as they both kept on from the last.

Sparky McGovern hadn’t been seen on a racetrack for 472 days, but must have been showing up well at home as he was backed this morning from 25/1 to 16/1 and went off at 14/1, the same price as Riotman.

Trainer John McConnell said: “That was straightforward enough. She jumped and travelled nearly too well.

“She is tough and she has finally done what we thought she would do. She’s a brilliant jumper for a small mare.

“We have two or three weeks left racing with her as she is in foal to Gold Well. She is in at Kilbeggan on Friday in a two mile six handicap hurdle and I wouldn’t rule it out depending on what the handicapper does.”

(on course reporting by Thomas Weekes)