IT HAS BEEN a fine weekend for Henry De Bromhead’s big guns, and the victory of Monalee at Gowran on Saturday was followed by the game success of the Robcour-owned Chris’s Dream in the Grade 2 Ladbrokes-sponsored Ten Up Novice Chase at Navan on Sunday.
The 5-2 second favourite jumped superbly throughout for Rachael Blackmore, and despite being slighty awkward at the last, he still landed running and kept on strongly up the hill to repel the effort of his old rival Champagne Classic by half-a-length. The two could lock horns again in next month’s RSA Novices Chase.
Meanwhile, Grand National hero Tiger Roll was very much the toast of Navan, even if his 25-1 success in the Grade 2 Ladbrokes Ireland Boyne Hurdle would not have been the most popular result with punters, but his versatility and honesty certainly registered.
Rarely has this nine-year-old travelled as well through a race as he did here for Keith Donoghue, as he cruised to the front at the second last and just had too many guns for market leaders Off You Go and Bachasson. The cross-country chase at Cheltenham next month is the next target.
In addition, the small Curragha stable of Shane Crawley is in fine form at the moment, and the young handler seems to do particularly well with mares, as was further demonstrated by the victory of the unexposed Dragon Houdini in the Ladbrokes-sponsored Mares Handicap Hurdle at Navan on Sunday.
Ridden by Donagh Meyler, the 10-1 shot crept gradually into contention, and helped by a good jump at the last, picked up well on the climb to the line to outpoint the more experienced Liffeydale Dreamer by three-and-a-half lengths.
Finally, if every Irish meeting was run at Navan, Gordon Elliott would win the trainer’s championship by a very wide margin. He enjoyed another very fruitful day at Proudstown Park on Sunday, notching up a four-timer on a day filled with potential Cheltenham clues.
In addition to Tiger Roll’s Boyne Hurdle success, other horses looking likely to go to Cheltenham are stable companions Ucello Conti after landing the Boardsmill Sires Hunters Chase, and the impressive Thatsy who picked up well to beat stablemate Multifactorial in the concluding Ladbrokes INH Flat Race. Both were ridden by Wexford amateur Barry O’Neill.
- Justin O’Hanlon
Murray Kinsella, Andy Dunne and Gavan Casey break down Ireland’s dogged win against Scotland in Murrayfield, and look at the room for improvement, in the latest episode of The42 Rugby Weekly.
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