Royal Eagle followed up a win on the flat at the corresponding meeting last year when staying on best to land the Tramore Directors Handicap Hurdle at the County Waterford track.

The Gordon Elliott trained mare had been in great form over flights since returning from a winter break, winning on her reappearance before reaching the frame on her three subsequent starts.

Back at a track where she had previously proven her effectiveness, the five-year-old shrugged aside topweight to lead two out, before skipping clear on the run to the last.

Jack Kennedy said: "She is a lovely consistent mare. She done it very well and I'm very happy with her. Hopefully she will come out of this fresh enough and be able to run again on Saturday. She won here last year as well, so obviously she likes it around here.

"I got a fall in Kilbeggan last week and was a bit stiff and sore after it, so I took a couple of days off but I'm grand again now."

Additional reporting by Donal Murphy.