TIMIYAN made a winning start to life with Gordon Elliott after fighting valiantly to deny Roachdale House in the Dermot Hughes Car Sales Handicap Hurdle at Roscommon.

The ex-Dermot Weld inmate hit the front two out but was soon joined by Roachdale House, and the pair set down to battle it out to the line after jumping the last together. They flashed past the post almost as one but Timiyan (8/1), who was returning from a break of nearly eight months, got the verdict by a short-head.