Any trainer who turned up at Wexford yesterday expecting the ground to tally with the advance going report of good to yielding was in for a rude shock. Good to firm, and firm in places, was the general consensus and the result was a glut of non-runners.

Fifteen horses were officially taken out because of the ground and excluding reserves, there were 26 non-runners in all. No action was taken by the stewards against the trainers for withdrawing horses because of the "significant change in the going since the time of declaration."

Patrickswell trainer Michael Hourigan took out five intended runners including Ballygowan Beauty, the likely hot favourite for the opener and explained: "At this early stage of the season it's dangerous for horses to be running on that sort of ground. It's firm in places out there."

Hourigan however did allow his warm favourite Tell The Nipper to take his chance in the featured Bewleys Hotel Handicap Chase. Tell The Nipper ran an honest race but didn't look to have any excuses as he went down by two lengths into third behind the 10 to 1 winner Ryhane.

Indeed Ryhane looked to have collected a ready-made excuse at the start where he was facing the wrong way when the tapes went and appeared to lose the guts of 10 lengths. Ironically it turned into an ideal scenario.

"He had been burning himself out by not settling in his races and being left at the start worked out perfectly. We'd planned to hold him up but not quite like that!" smiled trainer Arthur Moore.

As it was, Ryhane smoothly made progress from the rear to track Corymandel and Tell The Nipper into the straight and quickened much the better to give jockey Tommy Treacy his first winner for Moore.

Willie Slattery, 27, is one of the jockey room's lesser lights but he sparkled yesterday with a 23 to 1 double on Irish Breeze and Rizzoli. The latter could go for a novice handicap hurdle at Cheltenham's Murphys meeting next month after quickening well from the last to beat the favourite Sarcastic in the Chandigar Maiden Hurdle.