COLIN BOWE’S ultra-consistent mare Little King Robin pocketed the sixth race of her career at a wet and desolate Gowran Park yesterday when leading her rivals a merry dance in the Join Us Tomorrow For Racing Mares Hurdle.

Ridden by Mark Walsh, who was earlier on the mark with Henry Higgins, and owned by Maria Kavanagh from Arklow, the King’s Theatre mare went straight into the lead and was never headed in slamming Clara McCloud by 16 lengths. Market leader Jennies Jewel finished a further three and three quarter lengths adrift in third.

Bowe explained: “She was off but when the ground got so good we brought her back. She’s only back in two weeks and she’ll go to Punchestown now for the Grade 3 Grabel Hurdle, a race she was second in last year.”

Asked for the secret to her success the Wexford trainer finally replied: “We don’t kill her at home and she just loves racing.”

Little King Robin’s jockey also got a good tune out of Henry Higgins, from the Charles O’Brien stable to land the Park Gigs Maiden Hurdle confined to four-year-olds.

The J.P. McManus-owned gelding has plenty of experience and was campaigned in Grade 1 and 2 contests over obstacles last term and also enjoyed a productive spell on the flat during the summer.

Mark Walsh’s mount raced in third place throughout and jumped to the front at the second last flight, easing away to justify 4/11 favouritism by nine lengths from the always prominent Little Haarth.

O’Brien was well pleased with the performance and commented: “He’s brilliant at his jumping and always was. It seems to be a thing with those Jeremys - they absolutely love it.

“He’s done absolutely no schooling since he last ran over hurdles because the ground has been so quick and Mark said five strides from his hurdles he starts to take off. I suppose he can go anywhere and I’d like to think he might be good enough to compete at a proper level. He’s still a novice and has all the options for the rest of the season.”

Barry Geraghty certainly earned his fee on Brand Ambassador in the Follow Gowran Park On Facebook 81-130 Handicap Hurdle but was rewarded when the 7/2 favourite ground it out with Theatre Bird and The King Of Brega to get on top by two and a half lengths.

Gordon Elliott’s six-year-old Heron Island gelding is jointly owned by John Byrne, Paul Grimes, P.J. Gleeson and Joe Keeling and his handler admitted: “I was very worried about the ground and Barry said he was struggling all the way. I might put him away and bring him back for a handicap in the spring.”

Burning Issues, who filled the runner-up spot behind Brand Ambassador at Navan last time, franked the form by running out the half-length winner of the Book Thyestes Packages Today Novice Handicap Hurdle to give his Co. Wexford trainer Tommy James his first winner for two years.

Owned and bred by his father Noel, the 10/1 chance was well-handed by Sean Flanagan. “He’s improving all the time,” said the trainer. “And today was the plan.”

Jockey David Casey can do little wrong at present and knocked in yet another winner when bringing Grandma Dotty home ahead of Tiger Trek in the Gowran Park Santa Train Maiden Hurdle.

Sporting the royal blue and white livery of Mary Rose Sheahan from Mayo the 8/1 shot only had to be kept up to work to score by threequarters of a length. Trainer Charlie Swan was full of praise for his ally and said: “He’s riding well at the moment and is always in the right place.”

Grandma Dotty was the subject of good support at Navan last Saturday and was recouping those losses here. Said Swan: “She jumped terrible in Navan and at every hurdle she jammed on. I was so disappointed with her but in her previous race she got a really nasty fall.

“She wouldn’t want it any softer than that (official going changed from good to yielding after the second race) and if the ground stays that way she might go to Dundalk.”

Chief Of Panama’s owners, the Knees Up Syndicate, are all members of the same family now based in Galway, Wexford, Mayo and London and they were celebrating following the six-year-old’s two and a quarter length success under Jonathan Burke in the Dining Packages @www. Gowranpark.ie 80-95 Handicap Hurdle.

The 3/1 favourite has been knocking at the door and, re-equipped with a hood, the finally got his just desserts. Trainer Liam Burke reflected: “His form has worked out well in a few of his races but he likes it on top so I was concerned about the rain.

“I had him in the two and a half mile handicap later on but dropped him back to two miles here with the forecast and it suited him. He’s a lazy type of horse, the hood helped him today and Jonathan gave him a lovely ride.”

The rain was falling in earnest by the time of the 100 Years Racing (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race was run and there were very few racegoers on hand to see Colm Murphy’s 7/4 favourite Black Zambesi triumph at the first time of asking for the Winning Ways Iontach Syndicate when edging out Whiskey No Ice by half a length in the hands of Patrick Mullins.

Colm Murphy said: “He’s a big, raw fellow and we might look at a winners’ bumper for him.”