J P McManus made it to the Killarney festival yesterday and the visit coincided with Vivo's victory in the £30,000 Heineken Handicap Hurdle.

The McManus owned grey ran wide for most of the trip on the rain-softened ground and earned himself another tilt at the Galway Hurdle by running out a length and a half clear of the topweight Experimental.

"I suppose Galway is the obvious place to go," said McManus who also has the topweight Grimes among the 60 entries left in the Ballybrit highlight. "Charlie (Swan) got the best of the ground and had a solo round the outside."

Vivo, who ran fifth in last year's Galway Hurdle and has been given 9-5 in the handicap this time, was not all out to win yesterday in a race where the 9/4 favourite Cantiam could only manage fifth.

Barney Curley supplied Toreero for a significant looking raid at the O'Donoghue Handicap and despite carrying 3lb overweight, the 5/1 joint-favourite looked all over the winner at the furlong pole.

However Pat Cosgrave produced Iftatah with an inspired late run to overhaul Toreero and spoil the Curley raid.

After her double on the opening day of the festival, Frances Crowley didn't waste any time in continuing her run of form when Tisrabraq overcame a number of low jumps to beat the Arthur Moore -trained pair of Royal Marine and Hot Shots in the novice chase.

"We might enter him for Galway even though he did have a problem going right-handed last year.

"But the lads who own him are all from Galway and would love a runner there," Crowley said.

Another trainer on a hot streak at Killarney is Val O'Brien who won the opener for the second day running. Half Barrell appreciated the soft ground and used his proven stamina to overhaul Ballyvalogue in the closing stages of the handicap chase.

Pat Smullen produced Backcraft with a sustained run at the end of the mile maiden to beat Jimmy Jinks by a length but was denied on Street Player in the mile and six race, the favourite having to give best to the Willie Mullins -trained Countess Sybil.