It was a red-letter day for David Marnane at Tralee as the former top amateur saddled his first winner courtesy of Spirit Of Age in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap.
Fran Berry pinched a nice lead on the filly, as the field jumped away from a tape start, and she stayed on gamely to repel the late challenge of La Commara by the narrowest of margins.
Marnane only returned to the country four months ago, following a nine-year spell in Dubai, and has held a trainer's licence for a month. The winner was his seventh runner.
The 34-year-old was once runner-up to Willie Mullins in the amateur championship and rode for Dermot Weld and Mick O'Toole. The winner was bought for 14,000 from Moyglare Stud and more than recouped that with this victory.
Warren O'Connor enjoyed a welcome change of luck when Dynah Mo Hum stayed on stoutly to land the Ladbrokes Handicap and give him his first winner since last May.
It was the tenth winner of the year for in-form trainer Harry Rogers. 'She wants at least 1m4f and we may even step her up to two miles before the end of the season,' said the winning trainer.
Walk In My Shadow sprang a 20/1 shock (64.70 on the Tote) in the opening Spa Handicap to give Helen Keohane her first success of the season.
White Mountain finished to good effect in the testing conditions to claim the Lynam Merit Median Auction Maiden. Eddie Lynam's gelding led inside the final furlong to beat Clonard by three lengths.
Dimipalada was kept going by Conor O'Dwyer to land the Kingdom Maiden Hurdle while Andrew McNamara produced Accordion Girl with a perfectly-timed run to record a comfortable success in the Barrys Bakery Handicap Hurdle.
