Daigreen was backed as if defeat was out of the question in his bid for a hat-trick in the Murphys Inter Vintners Pub Handicap at Killarney but he couldn't manage a second win in three days as Benalex Park scored under Shane Foley (11/10 with Paddy Power to be the Aga Khan's next retained rider in Ireland) for John Murphy. Pepparpot (loaded very early), who has been touted as a good juvenile hurdler of the future, appeared to hold claims in this albeit coming here on the back of a break. He was completely friendless in the betting and went off at 12/1.

However Danny Mullins' mount would surely have won had he got any luck in running. In the end he went down by just half a length after staying on strongly for second and there was just a nose back in third to Crouching Harry

John Murphy trains the not un-fancied 9/2 chance Benalex Park and he said: "He's a grand big horse and he'll make a lovely hurdler.

"The further he goes the better and he is only coming to himself now." (TW & EM)