Burnt Toast earns crust

"NICE and easy. That will do her good, I'd say," was the reaction of John Murtagh as he brought the Tommy Stack-trained Burnt Toast into the winner's enclosure after the five furlong Maurice McAuley Memorial Maiden at a bitterly cold and wet Bellewstown last evening.

The Night Shift filly justified favouritism with consumate ease as the champion rider edged her past the front running Sea Of Dreams at the distance before drawing away inside the final furlong to score by two and a half lengths.

Stack said: "She has been very disappointing as she shows tremendous ability at home but fails to reproduce it on the track. Five furlongs is her ideal trip and I'll try to find a handicap over that trip for her next."

Tommy Carberry and his son, Paul, teamed up successfully in the Agrifert Handicap Hurdle when Kilcar, despite having to shoulder 2lb over-weight, edged past the front-running favourite Coryrose over the last to score by two lengths.

"He's a chaser in the making, likes good ground and stays well," said the trainer who added, "I suppose we'll find something for him at Galway."

Tom Taaffe nominated a 2m 6f handicap hurdle at Killarney next for Welcome Parade after the Generous gelding justified favouritism with the minimum of fuss in the Michael Moore Car Sales Hurdle.

Marigot Bay, wearing blinkers for the first time, proved an expensive failure in the opening Kilsharvan EBF Maiden. Having filled the runner-up berth on three ocassions from her four outings this season, Aidan O'Brien's filly was sent off the 8 to 11 favourite to finally open her account under Christy Roche.

But after coming under pressure passing the two furlong pole, she failed to quicken, eventually finishing third behind the John Muldoon-trained Dress Design.