Wicked Crack gave trainer Eddie Hales a first course success with a dour staying performance in the Joe Rea Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Downpatrick yesterday.

The favourite responded gamely to Conor O'Dwyer's urgings to account for Gold Blaze and is likely to go for a similar contest next time.

Barry Cash's rich vein of form continued when Brown Buck stayed on strongly to capture the handicap chase. The six-year-old will now head for a handicap at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting. Favourite Neath Native Sky could manage only 10th in the INH Stallion Owners Maiden Hurdle and was afterwards found to be lame. The race went to Alstoe, representing the father and son combination of Ted and Ruby Walsh.

Ya-Ain was a first winner for owner Declan O'Reilly in the Bet With the Tote Maiden Hurdlea; and Younowhat avoided the mayhem to win a grief-stricken EBF Novice Chase. Sunday's meeting at Cork has been called off as the track is waterlogged, so Nick Dundee will have to wait before he makes his return to racecourse action. The Edward O'Grady-trained chaser, who suffered what appeared to be a career-ending injury in the 1999 Royal & SunAlliance Chase, had been set to run in the O'Connell Group Chase.

Sunday's meeting at Cork has been called off as the track is waterlogged so Nick Dundee will have to wait before he makes his return to racecourse action.The Edward O'Grady-trained chaser, who suffered what appeared to be a career-ending injury in the 1999 Royal & Sun Alliance Chase, had been set to run.