'Boots' Madden's Whatever It Takes got the better of a thrilling duel with Chill to land the feature race at Ballinrobe, the E.P.S. Pumps Handicap Hurdle.

The leading pair had shrugged off all rivals on the run for home but were virtually inseperable all the way up the home straight.

Chill looked to edge it a few strides from home, but 'Slippers' Madden galvanised the 13-2 chance to get back up by a head.< Font Of Wisdom looked a classy recruit to the hurdling game when landing the Costello McDermott Maiden Hurdle.

Dermot Weld's 10-3 chance crept up the inner of long-time leader Decade Player approaching the last, and scooted clear under Paul Townend to win by five and a half lengths.

11-10 favourite Free To Dream landed the Tim Kelly Electrical Maiden Hurdle under Davy Condon.< Mudaffar made it third time lucky when landing the McHale Engineering Maiden by the narrowest of margins.

Always to the fore under Declan McDonogh, the 9-2 chance led on the home turn but had to be at his best to defy Pangio by a short head.

Pat Smullen had a bit of a scare as he dropped his whip aboard the fast-finishing Daigreen in the Burleigh Accountants Handicap.

It didn't matter to the result, though, as Joanna Morgan's 7-1 chance kept up his remorseless charge to beat Tohugo by a length and a quarter.< Seventh Sign made it two wins in the space of a week when landing the Irish Jockeys Association Handicap.

Never far off the early pace, the 6-4 favourite struck for home at the end of the back straight, and soon had his rivals on the stretch under Niall McCullagh.

With Annie Go making headway on the back straight, Seventh Sign needed the finish to come in time, which it just did, with Tommy Carmody's charge winning by half a length.