DURING this quiet run up to Christmas, Ronan McNally struck again at Navan last Saturday when the Armagh trainer saddled All Class to win the two-and-a-half-mile Irish Thoroughbred Welfare Council Best Turned-Out League Handicap Hurdle.

Sent off the 10/11 favourite, the six-year-old Zanzibari mare was ridden on this occasion by Davy Russell although Donagh Meyler had partnered the bay to victory on her previous start in an extended three-mile, one-furlong handicap chase at Punchestown last month.

Stuart Crawford had just the one runner at Ayr on Tuesday but the trip across from Larne proved rewarding when Ballycoose won the opening maiden hurdle under James Bowen.

Owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, the 2017 Mahler gelding was winning for the second time in two starts, having landed a four-year-old bumper at Down Royal in May when ridden by Deckie Lavery.

Mayobridge

Although trained in north Co Dublin by Ado McGuinness, the victory of Inflection Point in the seven-furlong handicap at Dundalk last Friday evening was well-celebrated around Mayobridge as the five-year-old is the first horse to win in the colours of Nigel O’Hare.

The Invincible Spirit gelding, who was having his fourth start for McGuinness having changed yards in October, actually runs for a partnership of four with O’Hare’s name being listed along with Gary Devlin, Mark Devlin and Joe McCrory.

On Friday, the Rory Cleary-partnered Inflection Point won by half a length from War Hero who, not too long ago, was trained by McGuinness for Mark Devlin.

Templepatrick’s Sam Ewing won the first division of the seven-furlong handicap at that Dundalk fixture on board the Siyouni gelding Business who was winning for the second time in three starts for Gordon Elliott. On Saturday, Sam made his public jumping debut at Navan where he had two rides for Elliott and one for Brian Hamilton.