ROSS Crawford saddled his first winner under rules through 125/1 outsider Green Hope in the opening Molson Coors Beverage Company Maiden Hurdle. The Telescope gelding led for Danny Mullins, but was headed at the third flight and raced handily.

Mullins asked him for more in third at the penultimate hurdle and his mount responded to take over after the last. He hit the line with a length and a quarter in hand for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

Crawford said: “I got my licence there in the middle of December, so it has been a long time coming! I was concerned about the rain coming, but he seemed to cope with it.

“I’ve had point-to-point winners. I’ve been a satellite yard for Stuart (Crawford, brother) for a few years and now I’ve branched out. I’ve about 20 horses in.”

Crawfords collect

The very next race - the Franciscan Well Rated Novice Hurdle - saw Stuart Crawford’s Jony R (15/2) win decisively by seven and a half lengths.

The 15/2 shot made good progress for J.J. Slevin into third over the third-last flight and further momentum saw them pick up the lead before the next. The pair were clear approaching the final flight and readily delivered for owner Miss E. Hamilton.

The trainer said: “He ran in a graded race at Haydock and wasn’t out of his depth. He was going to be third or fourth when he fell at the last. First-time hood was on because he was keen when he won here in November.

“We could try another graded race and he is one that could travel - we will go where we can get winners! Great to see Ross winning the first, that horse had form in point-to-points.”

Double green double down

Slevin and owners Munir and Souede doubled up with Anotherway (9/1) in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Rated Novice Steeplechase over an extended two miles.

Slevin was content to track He’s Gorgeous throughout and his smooth-travelling partner got on terms two out. The favourite, Sky Lord, was bang in contention there, but Anotherway outgunned him on the run-in to the tune of five lengths.

Tom Gibney said: “I said to J.J. beforehand that Limerick (close third) did his confidence the power of good - I know it was at a level. We did think an awful lot of him to start with and I know they did in Willie’s (Mullins) as well.

“He travelled well all the time previously and you would let go, and there would be nothing. I don’t know what has changed, but it is working anyway!”

MISSUS Beeton was another horse that responded positively to first-time headgear (cheekpieces) in the Coors Mares’ Handicap Hurdle over an extended two miles and one furlong.

She was noted making headway for Keith Donoghue after four out and he sent her on before two out where she made a mistake. The eight-year-old mare moved clear at the last and ran on by six and a half lengths at 13/2.

Trainer Philip Dempsey said: “It was (a proper mistake two out) - she’s a great jumper, I’d say she just had a look. We are just getting to know her. We put the cheekpieces on because over two and a half miles in Cork, she looked like she was labouring.

“I’d say just the run brought her on. Delighted for Kieran Corrigan, he was a great friend of John Clarke - Marian Finucane’s husband - and they had the mare together. When he passed, Kieran took her over.”

McDonogh’s return

Des McDonogh returned to the winner’s enclosure when Verbal Sparring took the honours at 28/1 in the Pravha Handicap Hurdle.

The seven-year-old gelding raced in mid-division on the outer and took closer order over the fifth flight. Carl Millar guided him into a share of the lead two out and they had sole possession of the lead racing to the last.

Verbal Sparring was gritty on the run-in as he scored by a length and three-quarters for Mrs Bridget Dillon and Seamus Domegan.

McDonogh said: “That boy (Millar) gave him a cracking ride - if you have him in behind horses, he will dive at them (hurdles), so he had him out and he measured everything. He jumped great.

“He has (plenty of back form), he was second a couple of times and he fell at Naas at the last when he might have won.”

KARL Thornton’s Shanroe Act was a wide-margin winner over hurdles in Fairyhouse last week and followed up when switched to fences in the Aspall Handicap Steeplechase.

The 10/11 favourite raced prominently and, although he dropped to third after the penultimate fence, rallied after the last and came between horses on the run-in to get up by half a length for owner Gary Ryan.

“He jumped really well and got into a good rhythm. In fairness, he battled it out well and hit the line well,” jockey Daniel King said.

“That’s his second win in a short period of time, but the main thing was to get a bit of experience over fences and, in fairness, he jumped really well and took me through the race really well.”

Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy secured a winner on the card when Lucky Lyreen, in first-time cheekpieces, won a battle with Born Braver by a neck, with the pair clear of the remainder in the William Hill Challenge Series Handicap Steeplechase over three miles.

Kennedy, in the Lyreen Syndicate silks, said of the 4/1 chance: “This sort of track and that ground, he loves that ground. Great attitude. Hopefully there will be a few more days with him.”