AT the end of a varied and highly successful 12 months, the versatile Cape Gentleman opened up a new avenue of attack with a commanding debut success over fences in the beginners’ chase over an extended two miles.

Much of the focus for this four-runner affair rested on last season’s Grade 1-winning novice hurdler Ballyadam, but the odds-on favourite crashed out at the first and happily both he and Darragh O’Keeffe were able to walk away from that incident.

This left Cape Gentleman (7/4) with an apparently straightforward task under Brian Hayes and he achieved victory with aplomb.

He was travelling smoothly in a good lead from before the end of the backstraight and recovered well from clouting the second last to record a smooth six-length triumph over Buddy Rich.

In the last year Cape Gentleman has won an Irish Cesarewitch and a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Kempton, while he has also run well at Royal Ascot and reached the frame in the Galway Hurdle.

“He jumped well apart from that novicey mistake at the second last and it was good to see him take to fences. He could be an exciting novice going forward and we might look at coming back here next month for a Grade 2 novice chase,” commented Mullins.

“He won his maiden hurdle on heavy ground but if we have options we’ll definitely be picking better ground in the winter.

“It’s probably more of a worry whether we can go back left handed again after Leopardstown in February.”

Harty haul

At the track where they recorded their landmark first success as a training partnership, Eddie and Patrick Harty added to their Punchestown haul when Christmas Jumper (7/1) bagged the Ladbrokes-sponsored 80-102 rated handicap hurdle over two and a half miles.

The reliable five-year-old was settled well off the pace by J.J. Slevin before making a forward move after four out and he picked off the always prominent Auckland after the last to score by half a length.

The winner has only been out of the frame once in seven completed handicap hurdle outings and could easily be placed to further advantage this term.

Jockey Michael O’Sullivan followed up his victory in the bumper at Limerick on Sunday by taking the Ladbrokes-sponsored amateur riders’ handicap chase over three miles aboard Robert Tyner’s Direct Image.

This daughter of Shantou, who is owned by Michael Walsh and John Carroll, won over hurdles at Navan last month and made bottom weight count on her second handicap chase start.

Direct Image did battle with fellow 5/2 joint-favourite First Touch from the second last and she gained the upper hand on the run-in to score by three-parts of a length. Tyner has won with three of the four horses he has run over the past three weeks.

Cody’s charge rings the Bell

AFTER looking a potentially decent juvenile hurdler at Listowel last month, Bell Ex One (4/5) confirmed that impression as he justified odds-on favouritism in the Ladbrokes Get Extra Places 3-Y-O Hurdle.

Jack Foley was once again on board Ray Cody’s charge who collared Calvados on the run-in before holding off Sea Sessions by half a length.

The latter looked somewhat unlucky after being hampered by an early faller, although Bell Ex One had his ears pricked for much of the straight and gave the impression that he had considerable reserves to call upon if required.

“Jack was thrilled with him and he felt he wasn’t doing much once he got to the front,” reported Cody, who bred the winner and trains him for his wife Gillian.

“His jumping has come on plenty from Listowel and he jumped better than he has ever done when we schooled him the other morning. There’s a Grade 2 at Cheltenham in November that we were aiming for provided he won today.”

First win

Wolf Prince (7/4), who was Grade 1-placed during his time as a juvenile hurdler, won his first race since January 2020 as he bested a pair of Willie Mullins opponents in the Ladbrokes-sponsored conditions hurdle over two and a quarter miles.

After showing signs of returning to form when second to Run For Oscar at Listowel, Gavin Cromwell’s charge took a further step forward.

Over the course of the straight James O’Sullivan’s mount got the better of the market leader Dysart Diamond, a winner of a big pot at Listowel last month, to prevail by three-parts of a length.

“I didn’t know whether to run him as he was wrong at the weights with a couple. The handicapper is probably going to penalise us for it but it’s great to win again with him,” declared Cromwell, whose charge is owned by Patrick Sheanon.

“He’s been running well in those small field conditions races and there are a few of them through the winter that he can go for.”

Realm gets it right this time

AFTER meeting with defeat when well-fancied for both of his bumper outings, Quantum Realm set the record straight in the Ladbrokes-sponsored two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle.

Davy Russell was on board the Ray Stokes-owned gelding, who jumped very smartly from the front, and the 8/11 favourite asserted on the run to the final flight to finish five and a half lengths ahead of Benny The Duke.

“I was hoping he’d win a bumper but he’s better suited to this game and we’ll see how he does when he goes down the novice route,” remarked Elliott.

The latter saddled two strong contenders for the Irish EBF-sponsored mares’ bumper but they filled the minor placings behind Patrick Foley’s Lizlucky who was ridden by Mikey McGuane.

The lightly raced seven-year-old was making just her fourth appearance and built on her second at Cork a couple of months previously.

The Leo McCormack-owned and -bred seven-year-old led over a furlong from home and rallied splendidly deep inside the distance to regain the initiative just when it seemed Silver Breeze was set to prevail.

At the line, the 15/8 favourite had a short head to spare. The winner will now go hurdling. Her rider received a three-day whip ban.