The track was really flying at Curraheen on Saturday, with numerous very fast times recorded. Chief amongst those was the career-best effort of the Niall Dunne-trained Minor Bound, who shed his maiden status in style, in the first round of the Odds On Dog Food A3 Tri-Distance.

The final of the Curraheen S1/S2 featured on a good card at Curraheen on Saturday night, and Glanmire Trooper, trained by Pat Kiely for John Organ, Dungarvan, prevailed in a very tight finish.

Following in the paw-prints of 1990 winner Adraville Bridge and 2003 champ Nikita Billie, Midtown Raffa gave trainer Mossy O’Connor a third Laurels success with a thoroughly authoritative display in Saturday night’s decider at Curraheen Park.

THEY’VE been labelled the “Irish foreign legion”, “the Celtic Convoy” and the “Green Army”, amongst other things, but one thing is certain — the Irish arrived on Kiwi shores to support Ireland in their droves.