Lad survives two late mistakes to get off the mark

Noel Meade and Paul Carberry completed a near 110/1 double with North Star Lad and chasing debutant Dark Prospect in Downpatrick yesterday.

Having made his debut in Galway recently, 16/1 shot North Star Lad survived mistakes at the last two flights before easing clear to beat Pigeon Creek by 13 lengths, surprising trainer Meade, who admitted: “He shows absolutely nothing at home. He was ready to run last spring and worked well in a schooling bumper in Navan. But he got a knock and had to be let off.

“He ran okay in Galway recently. As he showed today, he stays well and wants three miles., I’d say he’ll go chasing straight away.”