As has been its wont these past few weeks, heavy fog threatened to interrupt the racing schedule, but the situation was managed well at Thurles and, with two fifteen-minute delays introduced between the opening races, time was given for the fog to lift, and, thankfully, it condescended to do so.

After winning his maiden hurdle at Down Royal, Wakea was disqualified for a prohibited substance being found in his sample, but, three months on, the Cape Cross gelding made amends on his return to jumping with a fluent all-the-way success in yesterday’s opening race at Clonmel.