DERRY McVEIGH of the Morrissey's team from Carlow sprinted in ahead of Keith Bannon, Eddie McMahon and David Peelo for a splendid win in the Emerald club's Jim McQuaid memorial race at Ballyboughal yesterday.

A total of 116 set out for six laps of 12 miles and with just a mile to go McVeigh, who was a member of Emerald until he joined Morrissey's this year, surged ahead and held on to win by three seconds.

McVeigh and his breakaway companions were involved in the action at the front for most of the way. After the first lap a group of six were clear and next time around the leaders had swelled to 11.

McVeigh was there with Bannon, McMahon and Peelo, with Paddy Moriarty also included, and these five led the way by 35 seconds going out on the last lap.

Moriarty could not hold his place on the hard slog around the back of the circuit into the wind and, just when it appeared likely that there would be a sprint out between the rest along the wind assisted finishing stretch McVeigh seized the initiative and the others could not respond.

Bannon beat McMahon for second, with Peelo, who took the king of the hills award, next.