Ryansbrook appreciated the step up in trip when taking the INH Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle in decisive fashion at Thurles.

The seven-year-old gelding showed plenty of promise when staying on here behind Golantilla over two miles last time, and this extra six furlongs on heavy ground proved right up his street.

The 5/1 chance headed well-backed 9/10 favourite Venitien De Mai early in the straight and soon asserted under Mikey Fogarty.

The Colm Murphy-trained son of Alderbrook stayed on well on the run-in, although his winning margin of 11 lengths was exaggerated slightly by the final flight mistake of runner-up Vedettariat

Venitien De Mai, with Davy Russell replacing Jonathan Burke who was taken to hospital for xrays after an earlier fall, ran quite freely and could only keep on at one pace another length and a quarter further adrift in third.

Murphy said, "The ground has to be soft and the further the better for him.

"His pedigree suggests stamina and I imagine he'll go for a handicap next, we'll see what Noel (O'Brien, handicapper) does."

(TW & AM)