RACING: The leading Pierse Hurdle hope Beechcourt has already had a successful weekend after picking up a race in the stewards room - 14 months after it was run!

Hardy Eustace, who went on to win last season's SunAlliance Hurdle under Kieran Kelly, beat Beechcourt by eight lengths in a Punchestown maiden hurdle on November 2nd, 2002.

But the Turf Club yesterday announced that the Dessie Hughes-trained star had later tested positive for the banned substance isoxsuprine and disqualified him from first, awarding the race to Beechcourt.

"It has taken a long time, but essentially we had to answer questions raised by the legal people representing the owner and the trainer," said the Turf Club's spokesman, Sean Barry. "That also involved getting reports from the laboratory."

Chief executive Denis Egan also explained that Kelly's tragic death in August meant the Turf Club felt it would inappropriate to announce any details of the case.

Earlier this month, Beechcourt won a maiden hurdle at Cork, but Barry explained: "There is no problem there as at that stage he was entitled to be entered. It just means he has won two maiden hurdles."