RACING: Conor O'Dwyer completed a double at Thurles yesterday on Eskimo Jack and the gambled-on Scarthy Lad.

Supported from 3 to 1 to 11 to 8 favourite in the two-mile maiden hurdle, Scarthy Lad, owned by the 10-member Ballinascarthy Syndicate, travelled smoothly throughout on his hurdling debut before he forged to the front after the third last flight and came home hard held from Mind Over Matter.

"I have to thank Sinead and Grace in the yard as without them I wouldn't be anybody," said the Clonakilty-based winning trainer Thomas O'Leary, who nominated a winners' race at Limerick on St Stephen's Day next for Scarthy Lad.

Arthur Moore is looking forward to Christmas for Eskimo Jack after the six-year-old scored in good style under O'Dwyer in the opening EBF Beginners Chase. The race lost market leader Canary Wharf when he came to grief at the seventh fence when lying in second place behind front-running Quadco, who was collared by the eventual winner approaching the last.

Solerina followed up a recent course win for the Bowe family in the novice hurdle when making every yard a winning one in the hands of Gary Hutchinson.

The winner will run at Navan next month with the long-term aim being a shot at the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham in two years' time.

Bookmakers got a result in the concluding bumper when Mistletoeandwine stayed on well under a strong drive from Aidan Fitzgerald to land the spoils, while Master Papa prevailed in the three-year-old hurdle for Curragh handler Kevin Prendergast.

Steven Craine, who partnered the winner, was suspended for one day after a lengthy stewards' inquiry into an incident before the last, but the result was left unchanged.