WHILE most attention over the weekend was focussed on the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown, over in Sandown on Saturday the Colin Tizzard-trained Native River impressively landed the three-mile Grade 2 Virgin Bet Cotswold Chase on heavy ground.

Ridden by Richard Johnson, who was also on board the chesnut when he won the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup, the 11-year-old Indian River gelding was having only his second start – and his first of the season – since claiming the Grade 2 Betfair Denman Chase at Newbury a year ago.

This latest victory for Native River was celebrated in Dromore by breeder Fred Mackey and his wife Maureen who will now be looking forward to the 2021 renewal of chasing’s blue riband on Friday, March 19th. The apple of Fred’s eye since he foaled him at home, Native River is out of the Be My Native mare Native Mo.

At Leopardstown, The Storyteller, who was purchased for Pat Sloan by Kevin Ross Bloodstock, put up another excellent performance at Grade 1 level but again found one too good for him when beaten two lengths by Kemboy in Sunday’s Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup.

The winner was one of many sourced over the weekend for trainer Willie Mullins by Co Down agent Harold Kirk.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained Honeysuckle recorded her 11th straight career success in Saturday’s Grade 1 Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle. Although everyone knows about her now, it was Co Down farrier and former amateur Mark O’Hare who spotted her potential as a three-year-old and partnered her to victory in her sole point-to-point.

Also from Co Down but living in Australia, veterinary surgeons Richard and Andrew McClenahan bred and sold the top-priced yearling at last weekend’s Inglis Classic Sale.

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