Racing/Downpatrick report: Tommy Ryan continued his purple patch when he landed the Powers Ulster National EBF Handicap Chase on Native Beat at Downpatrick yesterday.
The John Fowler-trained gelding won by a length from Berkley, with Alberoni in third.
Native Beat (12 to 1), a first success in the race for his handler, took up the running after the final fence just when it looked as though Berkley would land the spoils.
"It's marvellous to have my first winner in this race, and young Ryan did the job well. This was his first time on the horse and he gave it a superb ride," said Fowler.
"He's the sort of horse who generally wins one race a year and this happened to be his day." Ryan (20) added: "He was under pressure most of the way and I didn't give myself a great deal of chance until we jumped the last. After that he just outstayed the one in front.
"I've had a marvellous time recently with 10 winners in the last two weeks, three of which have been for Michael O'Brien.
"I was only cantering on Panaconi when he fell at the last hurdle in the first race. This certainly makes up for it." For a long time it looked as though the only British raider, Majed, would have a say in the destination of the prize.
Trained by Lucy Normile and ridden by Neil Mulholland, Majed was still in with a shout at the third-last, but then Alberoni arrived on the scene and appeared a danger as Berkley went on.
Then Native Beat got into contention and stayed on best of all up the steep climb to the finish.
Earlier, local trainer Jeremy Maxwell won the Martinstown Opportunity Maiden Hurdle when Maswaly (10 to 1) took advantage of the last-flight fall of favourite Panaconi to beat Missindependence by two lengths.
Maxwell, who has had many winners on his home course, said: "I bought Maswaly as a foal in France. I was doubtful about him today as he has never been able to string a number of decent performances together because of intermittent leg trouble."
Ruby Walsh and trainer Pat Fahy, who have been in tremendous form at this track, added their sixth winner in 12 months when No Rows landed a gamble in the Polly Homes Handicap Hurdle. In The High Grass (5 to 4) became a Cheltenham Festival contender when winning the Killultagh Properties INH Flat Race by three-quarters of a length from Hardwick.
Trainer Tom Taaffe said the newcomer had been entered yesterday for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper and the plan was to run.
"He has received a cut on the off-fore, but he should be okay," said Taaffe.
Hardwick is trained by Adrian Maguire and came closest to giving him his first winner on the track when just failing in a hard-fought finish.
Ocras Mor was a convincing winner of the Morning Star Belfast EBF Mares Novice Hurdle under Denis O'Regan. The Suzanne-Cox trained mare cruised into the lead after the last flight and sprinted clear to beat long-time leader Gaelic Scholar by eight lengths.
Davy Russell produced the riding performance of the day when jumping the last with just one iron aboard How Is Things before driving the mare to a half-length victory over Hookedonafeeling in the EBF Tattersalls Mares Novice Chase.
