Meade and Mullins feature in Kilbeggan winner's enclosure

Noel Meade’s game chaser The Caddy Rose produced a battling display to take the winner’s spoils in the KilbegganRaces On Instagram Handicap Chase, the biggest pot of Saturday’s Kilbeggan Races evening card held behind closed doors.

Ridden by seven-pound claimer Eoin Walsh, the six-year-old was left in front two out when leader Crazywork De Vassy bowed out and the winner battled hard to hold off Ask Nile by a neck.

Another big name trainer visited the winner’s enclosure on Saturday when the Willie Mullins-trained Sayo had it relatively easy in the Joe Cooney Hurdle.

In a five-runner field, the 10/11 favourite stamped its authority on the race around the final bend before enjoying a comfortable seven-and-a-half length victory for Paul Townend from 80/1 outsider Dolciano Dici.

After being second in a chase on Guinness Hurdle day at the Galway Races, Charles Byrnes’s charge Doctor Duffy ridden by Kevin Broaders justified favouritism in the Kieran Kelly Memorial Chase with a nine length victory.

Ashqar won the opening kilbegganraces.com Maiden Hurdle for trainer Paul Gilligan, at 11/2 making the winner’s enclosure at the 14th time of asking.

The five-year-old came from behind at the final hurdle, at Kilbeggan’s short finishing stretch, to edge out Grange Walk by a head.

The biggest priced winner of the evening came in the last, the bumper, when 28/1 shot Shoe String, trained by James Barrett provided a first ever winner for amateur rider Amy Corrado.

Elsewhere Thousand Tears produced a family victory for Tipperary brothers John (trainer) and Martin Burke (rider) in the Follow Kilbeggan Races On Facebook Maiden Hurdle.

And in the other race on the card, the combination of Declan Queally and jockey Sean O’Keeffe had their second win in five days in these parts when Mick Charlie won the Pig 'N' Whistle Pubs & Restaurants New York Handicap Hurdle to follow up from Western Victory’s triumph at Roscommon’s Monday meeting.

Breaking its duck, the eight-year-old held off the market leader, Noel Meade’s In Your Shadow, by six and a half lengths.

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