BETTER Days Ahead remains on course for a clash with Ballyburn and Dancing City at the Cheltenham Festival after doing just enough to fend off stablemate Stellar Story in the Grade 2 William Hill Novice Chase (registered as the Ten Up).
Despite there being just a five-runner field, which was reduced to four when Chosen Witness exited at the fourth last, the race still delivered a late scare for backers of the 1/2 winning favourite as last season’s fast-finishing Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle winner began to kick into top gear close home.
Perhaps the Bective Stud-owned winner, partnered to victory by Sam Ewing, was idling slightly when out on his own, though Stellar Story (13/2) ensured he needed to be honest late on. The final margin was just a neck.
The Grade 2 proved to be an excellent result for the Elliott team, as Three Card Brag completed a one-two-three for the local stable.
Elliott, speaking after bringing up a record-equalling fifth win in the race, said: “The winner wasn’t doing a stroke in front. I think he only does what he has to do. It wasn’t ideal, he needs something to make it. I was thrilled with Stellar Story and Danny [Gilligan] gave him a great ride. He keeps guessing at his fences and I told Danny to try and get him around, to try to get a bit of confidence into him. He was probably a bit unlucky.”
Most firms left Better Days Ahead unchanged at 7/1 for the Brown Advisory but Ladbrokes weren’t impressed and pushed him out to 10/1. Meanwhile, Stellar Story was cut to 16/1 for the same event from 33/1.
On future plans, Elliott added: “I’d imagine Better Days Ahead and Stellar Story will go to the Brown Advisory. Three Card Brag needed that run to qualify for the Grand National at Aintree.”
Maxxum impact
It could be argued that Maxxum is one of the more unheralded campaigners in Cullentra, but the gutsy operator proved just how tough a nut he is to crack when getting his favoured conditions by adding the Grade 2 William Hill Boyne Hurdle to an already strong CV.
Best known prior to this as a major handicap hurdle winner at the Dublin Racing Festival, Leopardstown Christmas Festival and Punchestown Festival, Patrick Rabbitt’s homebred was in no mood to be denied under Danny Gilligan as he provided Gordon Elliott with a record-equalling fifth win in the race.
Thedevilscoachman, sent off the 15/8 favourite on the back of a promising second in the Galmoy Hurdle after a layoff last month, travelled up well as the race came to the boil. However, he couldn’t find as much off the bridle as the determined four-length winner.
Elliott said: “He had a good run in the Galmoy at Gowran the last day over three miles [when sixth]. He probably didn’t get home then.
“We thought coming back to that shorter trip today, if he got a soft enough lead, it would work well. Danny gave him a very clever ride. We’ll probably go Coral Cup now.”
Treble up
Elliott got the afternoon off to a winning start when Honesty Policy went one better than an encouraging hurdling bow at Naas last month in the Navan Ford & Opel Maiden Hurdle over just shy of two miles.
Francis Mangan’s point-to-point recruit found plenty for pressure to score by eight lengths as 6/4 favourite from Eddie Cawley’s Come Walk With Me.
“He’s a nice horse, and the further he goes I’d say the better he will be,” said Elliott.
“In fairness, Aubrey [McMahon] bought him out of Pat Doyle’s, recommended him to Fran and I was lucky enough that they sent him to me. He will be a nice chaser down the road.”
IT has been a quiet spell lately by the usual high standards we expect from Henry de Bromhead’s yard but Tareze’s victory in the Listed Ryan’s Cleaning Apple’s Jade Mares Novice Hurdle might just be the start of greenshoots ahead of the major spring festivals.
Carrying the Special Tiara colours of Sally Rowley-Williams and ridden by Darragh O’Keeffe, the second-season hurdler has been on the improve this term and recorded an important first blacktype win. The 15/8 shot ran out a ready eight-length winner over Blue Mosque.
“She’s improving all the time,” said stable representative Robbie Power.
“She’s a fine, big mare and I thought that was a very good performance. She could go to either Cheltenham or Fairyhouse, but I think Sally would be quite keen to go to Cheltenham with her.
“She jumps great and this was over two and a half miles but she’s not slow and could drop back in trip too.”
There was also an excellent training performance from Eddie Cawley in the two-mile-six-furlong Gibney’s Handicap Hurdle as his homebred Waittillitellyou (11/1) defied a 325-day layoff to bolt up by 14 lengths.
Standing in
Carl Millar successfully deputised for Tiernan Power Roche, who was stood down after a fall the previous day at Naas, on the 11-year-old course winner.
Cawley said: “We had him fit to run in October, but he broke down very badly on me as a five-year-old and I have to wait until I get his right ground - he loves it bottomless.
“I thought they would call it off that day he won at Cork, he can’t have it deep enough. I thought it might be just too tacky for him here today but he was mighty through it. If Fairyhouse at Easter turned up minimum soft, he might go there.”
THERE were plenty of big reputations in the William Hill Keep Your Raceday Positive Bumper (a race won in recent years by the likes of Ginto and Firefox) and the fact Copacabana emerged as a clear-cut five-length winner suggests he could be well above average.
Willie and Patrick Mullins combined to score with Edward Ware’s 9/4 favourite, who travelled strongly and now looks set for a tilt at the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham. The Blue Bresil five-year-old is now no bigger than 5/1 for that Grade 1.
“I think we’ll have to buy the ticket to Cheltenham now!” said the champion trainer.
“He’s a lovely, big, chasing type and I was looking forward to bringing him up here on this track. I thought he would show himself off well and he did. There was so much talk about so many horses before the race. It seemed a very deep race. He looks one who needs a nice dig in the ground.”
Happy Place
Navan is proving a happy hunting ground for Verdant Place this winter and Pat Foley’s capable handicap chaser made it two course wins in his last three starts in the William Hill Proper Prices Handicap Chase over three miles.
Simon Torrens gets a good tune out of J.P. and Noreen McManus’ homebred, who rewarded favourite backers at 4/1 with a length-and-a-half victory over a staying-on Low Style.
“We might come back here next month for the listed race that he actually ran in last year [Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Handicap Chase Final],” said Foley.
“This season has been going great with him. He was a bit disappointing last season, but now he’s really back to himself and we have got a clear run with him.”