ORGILGO Bay has been quite a standard bearer for the John McConnell yard over the last couple of seasons and fittingly he provided the trainer with the biggest victory of his career with a superb weight-carrying effort in the Listowel Races Supporters Club Lartigue Hurdle.

A former Beresford Stakes runner-up and placed in the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham, Orgilgo Bay lined up off a career high mark of 132 following a good effort against his elders at Galway. As he returned to his own age group, the four-year-old had no difficulty shouldering top weight under last season’s champion conditional rider Kevin Sexton, who was stepping in for the injured Mark Bolger.

By the time the Derek Kierans-owned pace setter neared the straight, he had only Annagh Haven to contend with and the latter was in receipt of over two stone. However she could make no further impression on the leader who flew the last to put the seal on a five lengths triumph.

“It’s a great pot to win and he’s a good horse to win off top weight making all the running,” said McConnell. “I’ve had this race in mind for him for a few months and when he was third at Cheltenham, I said to the owner that I can get him better and I think he is better. He is entitled to a break now and when he does run again it will be in a good race,” added the trainer.

Hassah looked a filly with a future as she thrashed her opponents in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Fillies Maiden. Paul Deegan took the interesting step of starting her out in stakes company at the Curragh last month and she was well beaten there but this display bodes well for her prospects at a higher level. From the turn into the straight, the outcome lay between the Colm O’Donoghue-ridden Hassah and her stablemate Magic Of Christmas and the 20/1 chance stormed clear to register an impressive seven and a half lengths triumph.

“It’s great to get her back on track,” reflected Deegan, who trains the winner for the Lootah Partnership. “It wasn’t ideal starting her out at the Curragh but her run there was too bad to be true and I’d put it down to stage fright as we do think that she is a very nice filly. We’ll see how the next couple of weeks go but that could be it for the season.”

It was a day to live long in the memory for young amateur Aubrey McMahon (16) who made just his second ride a winning one on Rio Treasure, sporting the colours of his grandmother Madeleine McMahon, in the Kerry Petroleum Flat Race. McMahon, whose first ride came at Leopardstown in June, rode a patient and assured race on the Willie Mullins newcomer who he produced with a potent challenge from the rear to take charge of this race heading into the last furlong. Rio Treasure defeated Exxaro by three lengths.

“She’s only small and Willie thought that taking 7lbs off her with Aubrey would help her and Willie marked her out as one that could help to get Aubrey started. He was very cool on her,” commented the jockey’s proud father, Luke.

An excellent season for Kanes Pass (6/1) continued as she bagged the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap for Willie McCreery and Leigh Roche. Now a six-times winner, Kanes Pass was trying her hand at a mile for the first time and she also had to defy a career high rating of 80 but she benefited from being kept close to the pace. Over the course of the last furlong she was too strong for the front-running Empress Toorah.

“She is honest, genuine and versatile and Leigh did his homework on how the race would work out and he gave her a lovely ride,” commented McCreery. “Her owners Frank and Betty Cosgrove have had horses with me since the very start and I’m delighted for them.”

It attracted just four runners but the John F McGuire Novice Chase provided an interesting spectacle which eventually went to Jessica Harrington’s Hurricane Ridge (10/1). With the odds-on favourite Silver Tassie finishing last and his market rival Bally Longford losing his chance when clouting the sixth last, the Robbie Power-ridden Hurricane Ridge was able to follow up his win at Killarney last month. The Lakeside Racing Syndicate-owned five-year-old started to take Shake The Bucket’s measure coming to the second last and he crossed the line two and a quarter lengths clear of a rallying Bally Longford.

“He loved it here today and he loves small fields. He’s not that big but for a small horse he has lots of scope,” commented Mrs Harrington. “He stayed this two and a half miles well and he will get three eventually.”

The reliable Chillie Billie (8/1) made the most of a favourable stall one draw in the seven-furlong Brandon Hotel Handicap to record his second success of the season. John Larkin’s charge, who had been placed six times since winning at Navan in April, was sent straight to the front by Ross Coakley and his rivals were never able to land a telling blow. Chillie Billie extended his lead approaching the final furlong and he defeated Doonard Prince by three lengths.

“This was a bit of a drop in class from the races he has been contesting and his owner Breen White was very keen to run him down here this week,” reported John Larkin. “He’s a grand horse and running well throughout the year.”

Smuggler’s Cove justified some notable support throughout the day in the Jet O’Carroll Memorial EBF Maiden where he showed good progress from his recent debut fifth at Roscommon. The Fastnet Rock colt was backed from 3/1 into 9/4 on track and he was pressing the favourite, New Alliance, for the lead two furlongs out. It wasn’t long before Smuggler’s Cove had the upper hand and he stuck to his task well to succeed by a length and a quarter.

“He stepped up from his first run where he was quite babyish and green. He has a good attitude and hopefully he can progress from this,” reported the winning rider who picked a one-day suspension after weighing in at 1.6lbs overweight.

Shutter Island: Shutter Island was reported by Tony McCoy never to have travelled and he was found to be blowing hard post race following his effort in the Lartigue Hurdle.