Early riser Martin Hassett earns rare lie-in after lighting up Clonmel

Early riser Martin Hassett will not be needing an alarm clock for a while after sending out the second double of his career, with stable star Mary Frances and No Grey Area’s putting an extra spring in the step of the energetic trainer.

Hassett comes across as a man who would survive without sleep, which explains why he starts training his string of 12 every morning under floodlights at 5am before heading to Coolmore Stud, where he works full-time.

Mary Frances is very much the flagbearer for the burgeoning operation, and she showed tremendous fighting spirit to get the better of Irish Grand National hero Burrows Saint by a whopping 45 lengths in the feature 3m hurdle.