Fist to the fore in Limerick

The Fist Of God showed his appreciation for a return to quicker ground as he ran out a cosy winner of the syncreon.com Hurdle at Limerick to put himself in the frame for the Galway Hurdle.

Noel Meade's four-year-old had some useful form in the book, but he was well beaten into third behind Jumbo Rio when he tackled Grade One company on soft ground at the Punchestown Festival.

With Paul Carberry out of action because of a broken foot, Barry Geraghty took the ride and stalked Coliseum down the straight. He got a good response when he asked The Fist Of God to assert on the run-in and the 5-4 favourite scored by a length and a half.

Carberry missed another winner when Meade's Gay Sloane took the feature Irish Mirror Handicap Hurdle under Davy Condon, who got a late call-up after original deputy Niall Madden was hurt in the first race.

The 7-1 chance was never far off the pace set by Hot Port and the pair jumped the final flight together before Gay Sloane, who could also go for the Galway Hurdle, edged ahead to finish a length to the good.

Lady Hillingdon put up up a gutsy performance to score for the first time at the 12th attempt in the Super Trooper 19th June Mares Maiden Hurdle.

Paul Gilligan's six-year-old (11-2) was not winning out of turn as she had finished second in Southwell handicap hurdles on her last two runs.

She went clear on the turn into the straight under Andrew Lynch, but Carpetcall reeled her in and she was all out to get back in front in the final strides for victory by three-quarters of a length.

The limerickraces.ie Handicap Hurdle went to the Adrian McGuinness-trained Catskill, who was wearing blinkers for the first time.

Conor Maxwell led for much of the way on the 10-1 shot, who was strongly challenged by another of Carberry's booked rides, Blaze Trailer, at the last flight but jumped it better and ran on well to win by two lengths.