Down Royal double for Draperstown trainer Noel Kelly

Gamigin, owned by the handler’s wife, landed the Adare Manor Hurdle with Gavin Brouder in the saddle in easy fashion having tracked the leaders prior to leading at the final flight and travelled ultra well on the downhill run.

Brouder said: “Noel told me to be handy in the race. I got a perfect position and he travelled very well. He’s (Noel Kelly) a lovely man and a gentleman to ride for.”

The Derry brace was completed when Eagle Terrace claimed the handicap chase after a hard fought battle with Evies Vladimir to the line.

The local winner partnered by leading amateur Dara McGill who lives near the trainer, with the winner keeping on resolutely from the penultimate fence.

McGill said: “They travelled really well as they went a very good gallop.

“It’s nice to get a winner for Noel as my younger brother Oran is based with him. The past 18 months Noel’s (Kelly) horses have been flying here and across the water.”

A treble for local trainers was completed when the most impressive winner of the day, Mongibello trained at Larne by Stuart Crawford and partnered by Stephen Connor, was the facile winner of the concluding bumper.

The local horse left his challenge until late making up ground on the very wide outside prior to going further and further clear in the straight to score.

Connor said: “We expected her to do something like that – Stuart has always held her in high regard.

“She had to do that on her work at home and there is more to come – she did everything right. I started with Stuart ( Crawford ) two years ago and have enjoyed success in points and on the course.”

The winning Larne trainer said: “The plan will be to go to Leopardstown (Grade 2 mares’ bumper, Dublin Racing Festival) with her.

“We won that race with Lily Du Berlais and we will target there.

“She’ll go back into mares’ company and we will try and have a tilt at that. She improved a lot for the summer and it has done her the world of good. She was very good back in the springtime in a real nice run in a point-to-point.

“We have been excited about her for a while. Whether we came here or just went straight there, look it is good to get another run under her belt and a win.”

The featured hunterchase proved a thriller. Derrylin trainer David Christie appeared set for success as his pair favourite Ferns Lock and recent recruit Ramilies looked to be dominating the finish, however, Its On The Line runner up in the Cheltenham Foxhunters last season and trained by Emmet Mullins with his cousin Charlie Mullins in the saddle despite pushed along from a long way out stayed on to win in another photo finish on the day.

Mullins said: “They started to race a long way out and all he does is stays. I won my first chase on this horse so know him.

“He wasn’t travelling for me early but stayed on well after the last. Emmett ( Mullins) doesn’t give you a lot of instructions or tie you down in a race.”

Waterford trainer Henry De Bromhead supplied the winner of the opener when Mossy Fen Park with Darragh O’Keefe aboard denied Joya Del Mar in a close finish.

Jockey Kieren Buckley claimed the riding honours when registering a double – the duo trained by Gavin Cromwell.

The Other Mozzie won the Red Mills Hurdle in a photo finish with the locally trained Bleu D’Enfer.

Buckley said: “He can be a bit keen in his races but settled nicely behind the leaders – that’s my claim gone after that success.”

The jockey completed his brace in another close finish to the Beginners Chase when Ask Anything despite mistakes at the final two fences prevailed on the run in.

Buckley explained: “I’ve sat on him several times at home but he didn’t jump as well as he can.

“He’s a very hardy sort of a horse. I was out for a while with injuries and had to wait for a winner and it was only last week at Navan I was back in the winners enclosure.”