Trainer Enda Bolger registered his second winner of the Festive period when his Federici landed a minor touch on his handicap debut in the Limerickraces.ie Handicap Hurdle today.

Ridden by well able Adrian Heskin, the son of Overbury was backed from 7/1 in the morning into 11/2, and stayed on well in the closing stages for a three parts of a length win over Sacre Malta

Bolger was on the mark with Cheltenham bound On The Fringe at Down Royal on St Stephen's Day and was also responsible for the naming of the John Glews owned Federici.

Glews, from Shropshire, later stated “Enda as everyone knows is a big Bruce Springsteen fan and named him after Springsteen's keyboard player Danny Federici who died some years ago. I've had a few other horses with Enda in the past but this is my first winner with him; I sponsor Donald McCain's yard in Britain through my company ProActive Personnel.”

A delighted Bolger later quipped “today was the plan with Federici but I'm shell-shocked it came off as, normally, things like this never happen to nice people like us!"

Heskin, who in effect rides mostly as a freelance, was recording his first winner of the week but was steering his 15th winner of the season.

By Thomas Weekes