Willie McCreery's Smoky Cloud belied uninspiring '000' form figure to make a winning handicap debut, at 20/1, in the HRI Pensioners Nursery at Leopardstown today.

Ridden by Keagan Latham, the son of Refuse To Bend raced prominently before moving through to lead a furlong and a half out, eventually recording a length and three parts success.

Afterwards McCreery explained “Smoky Cloud had been running on bad ground todate and her previous rider Bill Lee was right in thinking he was more of a seven furlong horse than a miler.”