ON an afternoon which saw racing put back by 55 minutes to await the arrival of a doctor, the reigning champion rider Barry O’Neill combined with Colin Bowe to win both divisions of the four-year-old maiden, the pair opening their account courtesy of newcomer in the first division.

Fiston Des Issards (6/1), a son of Buck’s Boum who was one of the definite paddock-picks beforehand, was always well positioned and he moved through to lead on the approach to the seventh of the 14 obstacles. The eventual winner certainly didn’t help his cause by running extremely green after five out and he was tackled by Castletown-Geoghegan runner-up Boothill on the inner from the second last.