Pat Smullen looks assured of a second successive jockeys championship as he holds a lead of five over Michael Kinane with just the final day of the Flat season to come at Leopardstown on Sunday.

But the reigning champion endured a frustrating afternoon at a poorly attended Thurles yesterday when he drew a blank from six rides, and had to settle for the runner-up berth three times.

Smullen went closest aboard Literary Lover in the one mile EBF race for two-year-olds, but the Dermot Weld-trained filly just failed to catch Solid Approach by a short-head.

The Weld/Smullen combination also filled second place with Quakemaker, who was no match for Fearn Royal inside the final furlong of the Cahir Median Auction Maiden, and the odds-on Ballerine was readily outpointed by Best Wait in the Horse and Jockey Maiden.

Best Wait's trainer Tom Hogan followed up in the concluding handicap where topweight Penny Rich scored in fine style for Tadhg O'Shea.

David Moran (18), from Templemore, partnered his first winner aboard Margarula in the Littleton Nursery Handicap. The Jim Bolger-trained filly and hot-favourite Arkaga dominated in the straight, with Moran's mount keeping on well to prevail by three quarters of a length.