Meath winners at Wexford and Down Royal

The Tom Gibney-trained Next Bend was a convincing winner of a maiden hurdle at Wexford today for Drogheda owner Derek Kierans and jockey Mark Flanagan.

'We will have a look at a novice handicap at Fairyhouse for him now,' stated the trainer who won the Irish Grand National in 2012 with Lion na Bearnai.

The Des McDonogh-trained newcomer Alterno carried the colours of Jackie Bolger to victory in the opening juvenile hurdle at Wexford.

Cortown jockey Roger Loughran landed the featured race with Canaly with a front-running performance in the Veterans Handicap Chase.

The Meath theme was maintained when the Tony Martin-trained Fire In His Eyes ran out an impressive winner of the concluding bumper for young jockey Luke McGuinness.

DOWN ROYAL

The Fox twins from Ardcath were on the mark at Down Royal today.

The Francis Flood-trained Kylestyle won the two and a half mile novice chase from the Dermot McLoughlin-trained Some Drama under Ger Fox who edged out Robbie Colgan in a driving finish by a nose.

The first two were five lengths in front of Ashbourne jockey Andrew Lynch and Dr Moloney in third. There was compensation for the Ashbourne man when he won the next race with Fine Rightly for trainer Stuart Crawford.

Ger Fox's brother Anthony has reverted to the amateur ranks and recorded his first winner since making that decision when Pointview Gale was a 20/1 winner of the hunters chase.

And Dermot McLoughlin also managed to get into the number one slot when landing the bumper with Dixie Lee which could be heading for Liverpool next.