A RESURGENT Toon River stole the show as he claimed back to back triumphs in the Holden Plant Rentals Shamrock Handicap Chase for Mary Louise Hallahan and Davy Russell. The 11-year-old hadn’t been anywhere near his best this season but a return to the track which has yielded all five of his career triumphs worked well.

Toon River, who was 7lb higher in the weights than when he claimed this €50,000 two and a quarter mile contest in 2015, set off in the front rank. He and Toushan went toe to toe throughout and it looked as though the latter held the upper hand from the third last.

Toon River was back in front jumping the next though and a good jump at the last enabled him to consolidate his advantage over Toushan. On the run-in, the 9/1 chance stuck to his task well and he crossed the line a length and a half clear of Noble Emperor. The latter made one very bad mistake at the sixth fence and he wasn’t too fluent at the fourth last either but he finished out his race with some purpose. Toushan was a creditable third.

The delighted trainer whose charge is owned by the Teergay Syndicate said: “He wasn’t coming here in the best of form and he’s had one or two little bits of problems. He just loves it here though and Davy gave him a great ride. Hopefully we can find something else for him back here!”

The former Grade 1-winning novice hurdler Marasonnien (4/1) claimed the Tetratema Cup Hunters Chase which completed a double for Willie Mullins. This Susannah Ricci-owned 10-year-old hit the big time at the 2012 Punchestown Festival but this was just his seventh outing since then and he had been off the track for almost three years before reappearing in the point-to-point field earlier this year.

Marasonnien jumped superbly from the front for Katie Walsh and readily repelled Salsify in the closing stages. At the line the front pair were separated by four lengths.

“He jumped brilliantly and he is a former Grade 1 winner so if he came back to that sort of form he was capable of doing that. That’s the first time I’ve won this race and it’s great to do it,” commented the winning rider, who was deputising for the suspended Patrick Mullins.

Earlier the Mullins-trained Haymount, who had endured a couple of near misses on his first few runs over timber, got off the mark in the two-mile maiden hurdle. The 13/8 joint-favourite had the measure of fellow market leader Double Island from two out and under a Ruby Walsh’s drive he contained Alamein from the last. The Claire Hurley-owned and bred gelding asserted on the run in to score by three lengths.

“I always thought he wanted a longer trip but his better form seems to be over shorter,” reflected Willie Mullins. “I was thinking in terms of the three miles EBF novice handicap hurdle final at Fairyhouse and he’ll go there or else run in a novice over a shorter trip.”

TOUGH RUNNER

The teak-tough Luckyinmilan (5/1) made it three victories from his last four starts with an especially willing effort from the front in the two and a half miles handicap hurdle.

Oliver McKiernan’s charge had to carry top weight and he was some 20lb higher in the weights than when scoring on his handicap hurdle debut at Thurles in January.

Ian McCarthy was hard at work on the seven-year-old from some way out but Luckyinmilan dug in admirably. After being pressed by Papa’s Way with two to jump, he went on again before the last to carry the day by three lengths and he could well add to his tally in the next few weeks.

“He’s tough and he takes riding, fair play to Ian,” remarked McKiernan whose winner carries the colours of Keep The Faith Syndicate. “He’s taking his racing well and holding his condition which is a good sign. He wants soft ground and is an out and out stayer.”

Get Out Of Jail availed of a gilt edged opportunity to give John McConnell his first winner of 2016 in the opening maiden hurdle. The 6/4 favourite didn’t face much in the way of meaningful opposition and enjoyed an untroubled front-running success. Andrew Lynch’s mount never came under strong pressure to hand out an eight and a half length beating to Mustadaam.

“He just ran a bit flat at Clonmel last time and maybe it was the longer trip as well. That was 16 days ago and since then he’s spent 11 days in the field and we were able to freshen him up,” stated McConnell who trains the gelding for the Rockview Racing Club. “Andrew felt he’d plenty left at the end and we might look at coming back here for a flat handicap he won last year.”

He ran absolutely no race on his chasing debut at Fairyhouse two weeks previously but the first time blinkered Fine Theatre (8/1) bounced from that abject display in the Coolmeen Gallops Beginners Chase.

The Mikey Fogarty-ridden half-brother to Joncol travelled very nicely and had still to come off the bridle when moving past Goulane Chosen to take control after two out. Fine Theatre finished seven and a half lengths ahead of The Winkler.

“He was scandalously disappointing the last day. We put blinkers on him and he really revels in that heavy ground,” remarked Paul Nolan. “He definitely has two ways of running but I was delighted with how he jumped and travelled.”

The point-to-point bumper, whose recent winners include First Lieutenant and Yorkhill, went to Terence O’Brien’s Consharon Boy. This Zagreb six-year-old got off the mark on his fifth pointing start at Templenacarriga two months previously and he landed this race in gritty fashion.

The 8/1 chance answered jockey Pat Collins’ every call over the last quarter of a mile to get the better of the favourite Monalee, a debut winner at the same Templenacarriga fixture, by a length.

“He’d plenty of experience and is a very genuine horse,” stated O’Brien whose charge is owned by Tomas Ahern, Thomas Considine and Michael O’Sullivan. “After he won his point we had his palate cauterised. I think he could be a decent enough horse and he might run in a winners’ bumper before the end of the season.”

ACTING ST EWARDS

N.P. Lambert, Ms. D. Brophy, N. McCaffrey, J. Osborne, P.D. Matthews

HORSE TO FOLLOW

DONT KICK NOR BITE (R. Tyner): This mare shaped up quite nicely when fourth in the point-to-point bumper and she would be of distinct interest if heading for a mares’ bumper in the coming weeks.