Cork staged its first meeting of the year before a record crowd of 8,300 patrons yesterday when the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Joe Walsh, officially opened the new five and six furlong track.
Victory in the first contest run over the new sprint course went to the Ger Lyons-trained Fiddler's Rock, who bounced out of the stalls for John Murtagh before blazing a trail down the far rail to run out the five-and-a-half length winner over Dress Design and Robbie Fitzpatrick.
Family Crest, sent off the slight odds-on favourite and one of two runners from the Aidan O'Brien yard in the depleted four-runner field, came under pressure before the two furlong pole before Christy Roche eased him close home to finish 11 lengths adrift, with stable companion Best Before Dawn back in fourth.
"He must have the rail as he tends to hang to the right," said winning trainer. "I shall make an entry for the Group 3 Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday, May 23rd, and we'll take it from there," he added.
"He's at home having his leg of lamb and an Easter egg," responded Mark Weld, referring to his father Dermot, who was responsible for sending out Iron County Xmas to land the Dairygold Maiden in the hands of Michael Kinane.
"He ran in America over a mileand-a-half when he was with Wayne Lukas but we're delighted to get that first win on the flat with him. He is a possibility for the four-year-old hurdle at Punchestown," said Weld Jnr.
Danny Grant and Right Job completed their second win of the new season when the pair stayed on strongly to hold off Sense Of Honour and Dunrally Fort in the Dairygold Handicap before surviving a stewards' inquiry. Liver Bird is set to line up in the Heineken Gold Cup at the Punchestown Festival later this month after the eight-year-old gelding battled on gamely after the last under a strong drive from Conor O'Dwyer to head Function Dream and Joe Casey in the final 50 yards.
Padge Berry, representing his nephew, who was attending a point-to-point in Tallonstown, said: "He wasn't happy on that ground as it was very dead, but he'll take his chance at Punchestown."
Verrazano Bridge is only a possible runner for Punchestown after locally-born Norman Williamson brought the Tom Taaffe-trained favourite to forge past Rose Of Stradbally after the final flight to land the featured Dairygold Handicap Hurdle.
Meanwhile, at Down Royal on Saturday, Paul Moloney (19) made a winning return to action following an enforced five-month absence through injury, when he steered the well-supported newcomer Lady Occupier to a facile success in the bumper.
