Young rider Adrian Heskin provided trainer Michael Hourigan with ample compensation with victory on Turf War in the feature Guinness Handicap Hurdle.

The County Limerick trainer had to settle for second best with Church Island in the Kerry National 24 hours earlier but went one better thanks to a confident ride from the 7lb claimer.

He brought the 20-1 shot with a perfectly-timed run to pip Tramp Stamp by a head.

"We planned to hold him up as long as possible. He's a very accurate jumper, very swift and he'll make a lovely chaser," said Hourigan.< Celtic Soprano (12-1) returned from a 10-week absence with a game win in the hands of Willie Supple in the F.B.D. Insurance Handicap.

Trainer Paul Deegan said: "We got out of jail today, we got the last run on them but it worked to our advantage.

"She is easy to pick races for as she can run over a mile and six to two miles and she can go on any ground."

Billy Lee 's enterprising tactics paid off on 7-2 favourite The Pier in the T.P. Walsh Memorial Handicap.

He stole a march on Joe Murphy's runner and had half a length to spare from Captain Cole

"He is improving all the time and will be better with age. He will go on soft, but is better on better ground," said the County Tipperary trainer.

The two maiden races went to the powerful stables of Dermot Weld and Aidan O'Brien.

Weld struck first with Silver Shoon who was winning for the first time in 13 starts in the John & Terry Moriarty Memorial Median Auction Maiden.

The 4-5 shot got home by half a length under Pat Smullen from All In Clover < Augustusthestrong (8-11) also landed the odds in the Helena Sheahan Memorial Maiden, O'Brien's charge beating Fedora by three lengths.

"He is a well-bred horse. He is immature and backward but he is genuine. We'll try and get some black type with him now," said jockey Seamie Heffernan.