THE admirable Western Victory added further lustre to her already distinguished career as she notched up her eighth success with a typically willing effort in the Jim Strang & Sons Kilsheelan Hurdle over three miles which may have brought the curtain down on her career with the father and son team of Declan Queally.

This remarkably tough and versatile mare, who is due to come under the hammer at a sale in Cheltenham on Friday, produced a display which contained all the qualities which have made her such a formidable force over the last few seasons.

Declan Queally adopted the mare’s favoured forcing tactics and stretched most of the field to breaking point.

However, the game looked up for Western Victory (85/40) when Minx Tiara moved past before two out. The latter began to empty before the final flight though and could muster no response as a rallying Western Victory got back on terms before forging on to score by 11 lengths.

There was a further 30 lengths back to Burrows Saint who was making his first appearance since finishing fourth in last season’s Grand National.

“That was unbelievable from her. It was a great performance and ground and trip don’t seem to make a difference to her. After looking at the race today we said we’d stick to the usual tactics and her toughness got her out of a hole,” remarked Queally.

First winner

A good day for the Queally yard got even better as Lovely Moon struck in the following 80-95-rated Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle which saw Waterford-born jockey Dylan Whelan (21) ride the first winner of his career.

Whelan made all on the Bridget O’Mahony-owned son of Le Fou who was returned a well-backed 4/1 favourite.

Front running tactics also worked well for Harvey’s Quay (6/4) in the 80-102 rated two-mile handicap hurdle where Edward O’Grady’s charge appeared to win with plenty to spare.

The J.P. McManus-owned gelding looked to be in control for Mark Walsh from a long way out and finished with seven and a half lengths to spare.

After just five starts, this five-year-old could easily progress further and he appeals as being able to add to his tally in the coming weeks.

Good days ahead for Dai Dai

LIAM Burke could have plenty to look forward to over the coming months with Gordon Dai Dai (4/1) who ran out a decisive and taking winner of the amateur riders’ maiden hurdle over just short of two and a half miles.

After posting a respectable effort to take fourth behind Uhtred at Naas last month, the William MacDonald-owned son of Buck’s Boum took a step forward under jockey James Hannon. He was travelling strongly in second as the runners filed into the straight and winged the last two flights for a smooth four-and-a-quarter-length triumph over the 11/10 favourite, Fameaftertheglory.

“Two miles was possibly a sharp for him at Naas last time and possibly we made a bit too much use of him. I’d say he’s a nice stayer in the making and we’ll look for a novice hurdle at Christmas time,” reported Burke.

Deserving

There was no more deserving winner on the card than Whiskeywealth (9/2) who bagged the two-mile maiden hurdle for horses who had never previously been placed.

Eoghan O’Grady’s charge fulfilled the criteria laid down by the race conditions but was a winner in all bar name as a last-flight fall at Limerick last March deprived him of a certain success.

The Eamonn Hickey-owned gelding was clearly all the better for his unplaced comeback, which came in the same Naas race contested by Gordon Dai Dai, as he made all the running. The Yeats gelding showed a fine attitude in the straight to fend off the persistent attentions of the favourite Salamanca Bay whose jockey Mikey Fogarty picked up a four-day whip ban. A trip to Limerick at Christmas could be next for the winner.

Regina gets it right for Gibney

THE Tom Gibney-trained Regina Dracones (16/1) produced a nice effort in the two-mile beginners’ chase for horses rated 116 or less over hurdles.

This Shawshank Syndicate-owned mare progressed very well over longer trips over hurdles last season and the fact she was able to win over this trip would bode well for her prospects as a chaser.

Gavin Brouder’s mount looked to have matters in hand between the last two fences but a slow jump at the final obstacle gave Song Of Earth every chance to get on top.

To her credit though, the winner quickly righted herself to move on again and carry the day by a length and a half.

The card concluded with a clear-cut success for Hilltop Supreme in the novice handicap chase over two and a quarter miles.

David Fitzgerald’s charge won four handicap hurdles in the space of two months earlier in the year, and evidently a return to form was expected here as he was backed from as big as 25/1 in the morning into 17/2.

Darragh O’Keeffe’s mount seized control of this race with two to jump and powered away from the front-running Big Debates to score by a dozen lengths.

Hilltop Supreme is owned by Belinda O’Brien and is now likely to head to Limerick over Christmas.