LEADING amateur rider Nina Carberry made a victorious return to action at Ballinrobe, following the birth of her daughter Rosie.

Carberry, who is married to Ted Walsh jnr, teamed up with Cask Mate in the Connacht Tribune Flat Race over an extended two miles for trainer Noel Meade.

Having her first ride since November, Carberry had Cask Mate perfectly placed to kick clear in the straight and the 9/4 joint-favourite ran out an easy 12-length winner.

Carberry said: "It's great - Noel gave me a nice horse to ride and thank God I steered him in the right direction, I remember the way to go around.

"I've had a wonderful nine months and little Rosie arrived - I wouldn't swap that for any winner - but it's good to be back.

"I couldn't believe it turning in, I was like 'have we got another lap to go?' Noel quietly fancied him, so it was nice to get back on a winner."

Meade was thrilled to have provided Carberry with a dream comeback. He said: "It was marvellous. She was very excited about coming back. Ted was telling me she was really hopping.

"She said she'd come back for Listowel, but then we didn't have anything to run. I wanted her to come back to ride the horse in Roscommon, but she said it was just a bit soon for her.

"I'm absolutely thrilled for her - it's great to have her back - she's a magic person.

"I must admit that I was surprised by how easy he won. I didn't think he could win as easy as that. He's a full-brother to Russian Bill but he has more boot than him, more pace.

"Sometimes they just need a bit of time. I'm sure that'll be the end of bumpers now and the syndicate are from Irish Distillers. They've had horses with me for years."

Carberry, 33, is one of the most successful amateur riders in the National Hunt sphere. She has won the cross-country chase at the Cheltenham Festival four times and landed the Irish Grand National on Organisedconfusion in 2011.

DOUBLE

Call It Magic benefited from an enterprising Ruby Walsh ride to land the Eamon Sheridan Groundworks Chase.

The 4/1 chance wasn't really suited by the conditions of the race but Walsh sent him into a clear lead from the early stages.

He allowed Net D'Ecosse and The Gatechecker to close up three out but was just filling Call It Magic's lungs up because Ross O'Sullivan's charge went away again and beat Net D'Ecosse by 11 lengths.

O'Sullivan said: "We just moved into the new yard about 10 days ago and that's the first winner from the new yard.

"He's a horse with issues – muscles, back trouble and everything like that going. There's been a lot of work done on him over the summer.

"He got into a rhythm today – he loved it – a pair of blinkers on him, Ruby on him – and from the word go you could tell after three fences that today would be good a day for him.

"He ran over hurdles recently and he just didn't enjoy himself.

"If you could just keep him right – he won his point-to-point by 25 lengths. He won his bumper then by 10 and we thought he was the real deal. Things just didn't work out for him.

"If you can keep him right it clicks and it clicked today. All the big handicap chases are now back on the agenda if we can just keep him right."

DIFFERENT LEAGUE

Court Artist was in a completely different league to her opponents in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle in the hands of Walsh.

The Willie Mullins-trained 7/4 favourite was disappointing on her jumping bow at Down Royal but banished that to the memory with a 10-length defeat of The Rap Queen.

Walsh said: "Her experience and the step up in trip was a help. They were going that bit slower than they were in the north the last day."

Bad Cigar looked for all the world like he had the Tuam Herald Handicap Hurdle sewn up when shooting clear after the last, but his fellow 6/1 co-favourite Theatre Run sprouted wings and nailed him on the line.

Off The Charts (5/1) hadn't been seen since March and was pulled-up on his last three outings, but made a successful start to life with Martin Brassil when lunging late to deny Caniwillyegiveme in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase.

Nellie Pledge is thriving on her racing and ran out an emphatic winner of the John Mulhern Mares Handicap Hurdle. The Brian Cawley-trained 3/1 shot backed up just three days on from finishing third at Galway.

Liam Gilligan made his move on the run to the final flight, going to the front where he was joined by Rachael Blackmore on Kilganer Queen, but Nellie Pledge had far more petrol in the tank and stretched four lengths away.

"She's hardy. Her run in Galway was a good one. She came out of it well so it was kind of a no-brainer to come," said Cawley.

"If she hadn't run in Galway, you'd be confident coming here. We were still confident but just with the run in Galway – had it left its mark on her?

"The plan was to give her a little break but we'll have to see after that. Liam is very good. He's got an old head on young shoulders.

"He thought she was gone asleep on him there. He gets her asleep but then she latches on and starts racing, although I was half-worried after going a circuit today - she was that switched off."

GRIT

Foxy Lass (14/1) showed real grit to run down Azua Emery in the On-Course Vets 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle.

Gordon Elliott's French import was sent off the 1/2 favourite and made the running under Jack Kennedy, but Foxy Lass always had the market leader in her sights and although Azua Emery kicked into what seemed a winning lead at the last, Foxy Lass found a second wind and caught her in the dying strides.

Trainer Denis Hogan also did the steering, and said of the half-length scorer: "She improved no end from Listowel but I hadn't got a chance to gallop her since, I knew she was sharper but I didn't think she'd find that much improvement.

"She had the experience and they have to be jumped - she's game too."

Hogan doubled up when getting Eiri Na Casca (3/1) up close home to deny Granny Biddy a hat-trick in the Yupana Inc. California Handicap Hurdle.

READ THE FULL BALLINROBE REPORT IN THIS WEEKEND'S EDITION OF THE IRISH FIELD