Noel Meade's Mahler Ten made a winning start to his career in the extended two and a quarter mile maiden hurdle at Downpatrick.

The four-year-old gelding moved into third before the second last and was ridden by Sean Flanagan to challenge on the run-in.

The pair got to the front inside the final 150 yards and went on to score by three parts of a length at 7/1. Foxearth (7/1) came in second with 13/8 favourite Captain Bocelli seven lengths further away in third.

Noel Meade said: "We thought he was alright but we thought a run might just put him right. He's belonging to Robert Watson and he sort of said he would like him to run in Down Royal, so I thought that was where he was going to go but he would have a bit of experience, because I thought he wants further than two miles so we might be going for the two mile six hurdle there.

"He was able to win so there will be other races he can run in. He has a nice pedigree, he is a half brother to a couple of decent horses and hopefully he is a nice horse.

"They are running well, we won't complain! He's another of Martin Cullinan's specials, he has been a lucky man for me to buy off. Hopefully he'll go on from there."

On new stable jockey Sean Flanagan, he said: "I'm very happy with him. He's got a great pair of hands. Paul (Carberry) came along and said to me he had been watching him for a while and had never seen him do anything wrong and that he is one of the most underrated jockeys in the weigh room so when you have that little bit of back up it wasn't too hard to make a decision."