< Ernest Hemingway made an eyecatching debut for the Aidan O'Brien team as he destroyed the opposition in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Dundalk.

The son of Galileo was sent off a 5-2 chance and Joseph O'Brien was keen to get him into the lead, after which he set a steady pace in the extended 10-furlong contest before turning the screw on the approach to the bend into the straight.

Nothing could go with him and the three-year-old, who could well make a name for himself and has fancy entries including the Derby, stretched right away to score by an eased-down 10 lengths.

The O'Briens quickly doubled up when 10-11 favourite Ahimsa took the Crossmaglen All-Ireland Champions Maiden, though the manner of the filly's victory could hardly have been more different.

She looked to be struggling to get to Catfromtherock coming down the straight, but the jockey's determination paid off as she grabbed the lead in the shadow of the post to win by a neck.

The evening's feature race was the Crowne Plaza Race & Stay Package Handicap and plenty held a chance going into the closing stages before the race went to Mick Halford's top-weight Banna Boirche

A winner at the track last week, the six-year-old (4-1) collared Elusive Ridge close home in the hands of Shane Foley to land his eighth victory at the track, though third home Billyford was trapped on the rail and looked an unlucky loser.

Without Akasaka only three ran in the Group Discounts At Dundalk Claiming Race and it could not have been won any easier by the absentee's Eddie Lynam-trained stablemate Spin Of A Coin (4-11 favourite), who coasted clear by nine and a half lengths under Sam James.

They crawled in the five-runner Dundalk Stadium On Facebook Handicap and when the pace eventually quickened up Shane Gray had enough in reserve on Tommy Stack's front-runner Pivotal Rock (6-1) to hold favourite Aquilonius by a head.