We're well-used to a forthright Chris Hayes at this stage and the Limerick rider was no different after his win on Sretaw at Gowran, saying: "I'm going to buy a lotto ticket. I was just told to make use of the draw but I kept having to pull back and give away ground.

"Turning in I was starting to make up my excuses but it just opened up like the red sea and she won snug enough in the end."

Box one produced three winners in a row over seven at the last meeting in Gowran and even though it may not have had much of a bearing on this success, Sretaw was berthed on the fence for the opening split of the Tommy Tiernan Live After Racing Friday October 4th Handicap.

A daughter of Kalanisi that we hadn't seen since June, Sretaw is trained by Gavin Cromwell. We've witnessed the colours of successful owner, Eamon Waters, plenty in the recent past, on the frustrating jumping horse, King Of The Refs.

The winner, returned an 8/1 shot, got home in the hands of the red-hot Hayes, by a length and a quarter and half a length from Maal (drifted over to near-side rail) and Elusive Gent (AM & EM)