Impressive Newcomer Completes Double For Mahler

The Anthony Honeyball-trained Marco Island (5g Mahler - Florida Belle, by Florida Son) built on a promising hurdle debut to take Saturday’s maiden hurdle at Chepstow.

Successful in a bumper on debut, he finished second at the track last month and stepped up to two and a half miles on Friday, with the ground described as heavy. Making most of the running under Rex Dingle, he was ridden from two out and dug deep on the run-in to justify favouritism by a neck.

Owned by Buckingham, Chapman, Langford and Ritzema, Marco Island was bred by Michael Walsh.

Not long after at Kildorrery, Kym Eyre (6m Mahler - Saddleoncemore, by Saddlers’ Hall) produced a taking debut performance in the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden.

Chasing the leaders under T Feeney, the James Sheehan-trained bay led from the third last and drew clear from the penultimate fence. Despite showing signs of inexperience, Eric Callanan’s homebred won by nine lengths, with another 12 lengths back to the third.