Tosnu maith leath na h'oibre (a good start is half the battle) is an old Irish saying and that's precisely what the Irish got in the first, the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, with Vautour simply destroying the opposition.

MANY jockeys have long believed that the facilities for them at a number of tracks in Ireland leave plenty to be desired and at Cork yesterday Davy Russell made a stand before the sixth race.