High Talk whose only previous success came at the track last May, struck again at Downpatrick in the Joe Rea Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

He responded well to the urgings of Mikey Butler to get the better of a duel with Lord Friday after the pair had battled it out from the second last.

Mark McNiff 's charge stayed on well to settled matters on the run-in, recording a six-length success.

The race lost some of it's gloss when well-fancied 11/8 favourite Ongenstown Lad (from 9/4) fell around the half-way point.

The winning owner was Sean Whitney, who lives near the famous Kilronan Castle in Roscommon, and it was his first success in his own colours:-

"It's the first winner in my own name but I've been involved in a few others. I actually have three other lads from Roscommon involved in him.

"We were expecting him to run well and he came right today. Mark told me there was very little between four horses in the race so I wasn't over confident."