By Alan Magee

AN all National Hunt card and a Best Dressed Ladies competition provided the ingredients for a good crowd on day two of the Sligo August meeting on what proved a decent evening for punters with four successful short-priced favourites.

The market got it right in the featured €20,000 Guinness Sligo Handicap Hurdle as Give Me A Break ran out a convincing winner.

J.P. McManus’ mare was 5lb ‘well-in’ following a creditable third in a valuable event at Galway last Saturday, and the 2/1 favourite made no mistake here leading two out under Adrian Heskin and drawing clear of the front-running Dazzling Susie for a convincing 10-length victory.

Heskin said: “She took a long time to come to hand but seems to be going in the right direction and will jump a fence in time. She loves an ease in the ground and is one that can keep going through the winter.”

The winning trainer Michael Hourigan added: “She was a bit unlucky at Galway where she didn’t come down the hill that well and got boxed in a bit.”

Willie Mullins sent out a double with Rough Justice (1/1) in the two mile and four furlong Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Hurdle and newcomer Lyrical Theatre (4/9) in the Littlewoods Ireland mares’ bumper.

The Gigginstown-owned Rough Justice made all and kept on well on the run-in for Johnny Burke to beat King Blue by five and a half lengths. Patrick Mullins commented afterwards: “He wants three miles and will probably go over fences sooner rather than later. He ran off the bend a bit but also did that at Downpatrick and Johnny was aware of it going out. It’s great to get him in a race like that. He was very good.”

Patrick was aboard the red-hot Lyrical Theatre, and she justified the strong word beforehand with a most impressive win going on before the straight for a facile 20-length triumph. “I think she’s very good and was hoping she would do that,” said the champion amateur before adding, “She’s a King’s Theatre half-sister to Bright New Dawn. We took a little chance coming here as she wouldn’t have done as much work as most of ours would first time out but she was still able to do that which is very exciting.

“The owners (Hibo Syndicate) Willie McDonald and Joe Rooney went to my school, Clongowes Wood, so hence the purple and white colours. They actually won this race last year with Royal Moll.”

Shane Quinlan (19) from Glanworth had an evening to remember partnering his first winner aboard the Peter Fahey-trained Tiger Bay Lady (8/1) in the RSS Document Storage Sligo Maiden Hurdle, overcoming a mistake at the last to beat Changeofluck by three and a half lengths.

Fahey, speaking by telephone while on holiday in Portugal, said “It’s great for Shane, and hopefully he’ll get a few more outside rides now. He’s been with me a few years, and gave her a lovely ride. She jumps well and will probably go straight over fences now. There are nine in the (Bogmen) syndicate from Laois and Offaly and it’s headed up by Kieran Leavy.”

There was something of a Fianna Fail party reunion in the parade ring after the victory of He Is Top Class, owned and trained by Donie Hassett, in the Leo McMorrow Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

A 17th career winner for man-of-the-moment Shane Shortall, the 11/2 chance was bred by Donagh Killilea whose father Mark, the former TD and MEP, was joined afterwards by former Taoiseach Brian Cowen and regular Sligo racegoer Ray MacSharry.

Mark Walsh and Little King Robin have struck up a great partnership and recorded their third win in less than three months when adopting typical front-running tactics in the two-mile Martin Reilly BMW Dealer Hurdle.

After the 4/5 favourite beat Cavite Beta by an easy eight lengths for owner Maria Kavanagh, Walsh said “She’s so much early speed, and likes to go flat to the boards. She’s tough and great to ride.”

Winning trainer Colin Bowe was represented by assistant Brendan Walsh who added: “She’ll go to Bellewstown on August 28th for a mares’ race and that’ll probably be it for the summer. She’s also in at Tramore next Thursday (Lady riders race) but it’s unlikely she’ll go there. She likes to be busy but deserves a break.”

Tony Martin followed on from his six-winner haul at Galway by taking the opening Easyfix Rubber Products Maiden Hurdle with Elishpour (7/2).

Barry Connell’s gelding cruised clear in the straight under Danny Mullins to beat If Not For You by a cosy seven lengths, Martin said: “I thought he’d improved a lot from the last day. He’d a couple of nice runs and that was a bit better today. It might not have been a great race but he’s done it nicely.”