Barry Geraghty deputised for Carberry on the 4/6 favourite and the partnership obliged by 28 lengths.

Meade said: "He's likely to take his chance in the Triumph Hurdle, if he gets into the race, and he wants much better ground. He's a gross horse and probably needed the run when he was fourth to Duty at Gowran Park."

Carberry was also scheduled to ride the favourite Will Jamie Run in the next race, the N.I. Childrens Hospice Maiden Hurdle, but his place was taken by Paddy Flood, who was runner-up behind the Jessica Harringtontrained winner Lough Cuan, the mount of Denis O'Regan.

Mrs Harrington said of her 14/1 winner: "I thought she'd hate the ground because she wants it much better, but she got through it. Denis said three miles would be no problem to her."

Favourite backers were also out of luck in the Hamilton Young Architects & J.J.

Casey Quantity Surveyors Handicap, in which market leader Le Marquis was beaten into second place by the Kevin Coleman-ridden Blanchfield.

However, that result paled into insignificance when compared with the success of Oliver Brady's 50/1 outsider Ardlea Star in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Chase, a race in which the Edward O'Grady-trained favourite O'Muircheartaigh was pulled up. Ardlea Star, with Niki O'Shea in the saddle, made every yard of the running to beat Mattock Ranger by 17 lengths.