Co Kilkenny rider Eddie Moloney made a dramatic return after injury to win the Lady Moira Forbes-sponsored Grade A championship qualifier yesterday.
Riding Heather Burcher's nine-year-old mare, Cushlane Flight, Moloney, who has been receiving intense physiotherapy on his back and neck since falling from a horse eight days ago, was the fastest of five who made it through to the jump-off to earn a ticket for the championship final on Saturday morning.
Clare rider Joan Greene had set the target with the stallion Who's Business As Usual in 37.96 seconds, but one pole on the ground left the gap wide open for Moloney who, with the talented grey, gained over two seconds on the clock to return faultless in a winning time of 35.66.
Former national champion Francis Connors, who was last to go with Ericasam, also put in a brave effort to beat the target set by Moloney, but the Co Waterford jockey did best to come second when crossing the line clear, but two seconds adrift in 37.32.
Marion Hughes earned her place in the second qualifier of the hotly-contested Whip 'N' Spur four-year-old championship when completing on an impressive aggregate score of 104.33 with the Swiss-bred mare, Echo Beach. And in the first of two qualifiers for the five-year-old Canada Life championship, the reigning four-year-old RDS champion, VDL Arkansas, safely booked his passage to the final.