Rubi lights the way in Red Mills Chase

Rubi Light made all the running to win the Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park for the second successive year.

Robbie Hennessy's talented seven-year-old outclassed his four rivals, although he had to overcome a bad mistake at the second-last when he went through the top of the fence.

Andrew Lynch dictated affairs on the 2-5 shot from the outset, steadily pulling clear, and was on his own in front from a long way out.

After that scare at the penultimate fence, he jumped the last well to come 16 lengths clear of Gordon Elliott's John Smith's Grand National hope Chicago Grey, doing his Ryanair Chase claims at Cheltenham no harm.

Delighted winning trainer Robbie Hennessy said: "He was a long-time in front and it was like a schooling session for him.

"He just popped around and was very good - he'll be even better with a bit of company.

"Andrew was very impressed with him. He made the rest look very ordinary.

"When Andrew got off him after Cheltenham last year he said he wouldn't want the ground any faster. By the Friday the ground would have been too fast for him.

"If we get soft ground in the Ryanair we'll be laughing and we'll be praying for a bit of rain."

The winning jockey was enjoying a double, having had to work considerably harder on Jim Dreaper's 11-8 favourite Harpsy Cord, who fended off Sole Witness by a length and a half in the Follow Gowran On Facebook Beginners Chase.

Christy Roche's newcomer Ballynacree put up an eyecatching performance to win the Shantou At Burgage Stud Maiden Hurdle in the colours of JP McManus.

Several looked to be going well nearing the last, but Jody McGarvey was the one with the most ammunition and once he popped the question, the 40-1 shot zipped away to score by six lengths.

McManus doubled up when John Kiely's Up For The Match (12-1) landed a cosy victory by a length and a half in the Goresbridge Handicap Hurdle in the hands of Alan Crowe.

John Joe Walsh's Jack Absolute (16-1) led three out under Philip Enright and was in control thereafter as he took the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Handicap Chase by 10 lengths.