ONE Irish-trained winner followed another as John Queally’s heavily-backed favourite Getaway Katie Mai landed the closing Grade 2 Goffs Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open NHF Race bumper to approval from the stands.

With all bar one of the 20 runners successful at some stage, 15/8 about the favourite seemed hard to believe.

With Jamie Codd a little way off the pace three furlongs out and getting a little lower in the saddle, a happy ending hung in the balance.

But form is form and the mare had finished a good second to subsequent Champion Bumper winner Relegate at Leopardstown.

Suddenly there she was, wriggling through on the inside and keeping on strongly to account for Midnightreferendum and Duhallow Gesture. She had a hard race, however, and Codd picked up a 17-day ban for overuse of the whip.

“She’s a lovely mare,” Queally commented. “She’ll probably go hurdling but she could also go on the flat. She’s not short of speed.”

The Red Rum Handicap Chase was run at a fierce clip, largely thanks to the remarkable Gino Trail, who followed his fine Cheltenham second with a splendid third under the welter burden of 11st 12lb.

Well clear soon after the off, Kerry Lee’s 11-year-old was still in front turning for home but the challengers arrived. None was travelling better than Theinval, bidding to give Nicky Henderson a four-timer, but the lightly-weighted Bentelimar took it up two out and galloped on for Jonathan Burke to beat him by just over three lengths.

Bentelimar ran in good races for Shay Barry in Ireland but joined Charlie Longsdon. He was 10lb better in with Gino Trail after finishing a good third to him at Cheltenham before Christmas and first-time cheekpieces helped.

** There was one fatality on the opening day. Lilbitluso fell in the Foxhunters’ and had to be put down.