THE evergreen 13-year-old Silvano Bello posted the headline performance at Portmarnock last Sunday. The gelding has now won €114,000 over his lifetime, €52,000 of this total was earned in Ireland. Last week he was mistakenly credited with €30,000 Irish earnings by your correspondent in this column but commentator Michael Dempsey shared the correct amount with the crowd on Sunday.

Very few horses win around Portmarnock from the dreaded ‘ 9 hole ‘ but Tadhg Murphy somehow crept into the race to get Silvano Bello to his favourite place at the head of affairs. Stable companion Banderillero Piya, with brother Donal in the bike, was left as the only danger but the five years older Silvano Bello had got first run.