HEWICK provided Shark Hanlon, who recently regained his licence following a six-month ban relating to negligence in transporting a deceased horse, with a welcome boost when landing the Jimmy Neville Memorial Hurdle and, in the process, booked his ticket for next month’s Randox Grand National.

The 10-year-old gelding, without a win since the 2023 King George VI Chase at Kempton, was ridden in public for the first time by Hanlon’s 17-year-old son Paddy, who sent the 11/8 favourite to the front four from home, before taking control in the straight.

A fine leap at the last sealed the victory as the T.J. McDonald-owned gelding galloped on strongly to beat Asterion Forlonge by five lengths, with Kilcruit finding no extra a further five and a half lengths back in third.

“I left him out of Cheltenham and I’m delighted I did and the plan is now the Grand National. This will give the horse great confidence and I’m looking forward to Aintree now,” said the Bagenalstown trainer.

Regarding his own return from suspension, he added: “Thanks to Tara Cogan, who has been brilliant, she came in with Rachel (his partner) and we got to keep the same staff.

“It was a tough time, but the public kept me going. We are back to half the numbers we had, but if we win the National, we’ll fill it back up!”

Willie Mullins and Paul Townend were expected to add to their Cheltenham successes with High Class Hero who, in the absence of stablemate Fun Fun Fun due to the going (officially good to yielding, yielding in places), was sent off the 2/13 favourite for the featured Grade 3 Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase.

However, Common Practice (12/1) hadn’t read the script and defied a six-month break by heading the hot-pot at the last and staying on best on the run-in for Simon Torrens to score by three-quarters of a length. The pair pulled 15 lengths clear of Drumgill in third.

“He seems to run well after a break, and he jumped everywhere. I thought we went a nice enough gallop, and it was just a case of finding out how much Paul had left. Coming to the last, I was confident I had him covered and he did it well in the end,” said Torrens of the Gleneagles gelding, trained by Joseph O’Brien for JP McManus.

A LAW Of Her Own provided Peter Fahey with a welcome success also at odds of 12/1 in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Beginners Chase, making most of the running under Sean O’Keeffe before repelling the challenge of 5/4 favourite Theatre Native by a length and a half.

“We sat down with Willie (Ward) and Roddy (Winters, owners) at the start of the season and decided to aim for blacktype over fences. She did that on a few occasions and was unlucky last time in a good handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival, when a horse jumped across her and knocked her out of the race completely. We’ll go for a handicap chase at Punchestown now and it’ll be great for the lads who are local to there,” said the Monasterevin trainer.

Web follows up

Spinning Web added to a course and distance win earlier this month when taking the other race over fences, the Flexineb E3 Handicap Chase.

The 9/2 chance, trained by Mags Mullins for the Barrow Vale Syndicate, made headway up the inner to lead approaching the final fence and soon asserted for Donagh Meyler to beat the front-running Lilian Bland by four and a half lengths.

Meyler said: “Thank God Danny (Mullins) was over in Uttoxeter today, so I managed to rob the ride again! He jumped fluently throughout and quickened well down the hill.

“The ground is definitely on the good side today and he likes it, so you’d imagine he’ll be kept going for the summer.”

Dramatic

There was plenty of drama in the straight in the Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle with the front-running Slieve Annilog falling at the penultimate flight and then Free Flow and 5/4 favourite Following Orders were disputing the lead, when the latter made a bad mistake at the last.

Free Flow, who may well have won anyway, took full advantage drawing clear under Tom Harney to score by seven lengths.

“He is improving all the time and today’s ground was lovely for him.

“The three boys (Jiver Syndicate) are from Cork and Kerry, they’re lucky men and this is their first horse with me,” said trainer Ross O’Sullivan of the 100/30 winner.

BORN Bright added to a Fairyhouse maiden win earlier this season for owner/trainer/breeder Claire O’Connell in the Leugh Handicap Hurdle.

The 10/1 shot jumped past the front-running Pebble Bleu two out and kept on well on the run-in under talented 5lb claimer James Smith to score by four and three-quarter lengths.

O’Connell said: “She is a home-bred and William Flood, who stands Kalanisi, is a great family friend and says that Kalanisis are a little better being undercooked, so we had her fresh and well in herself today.

“The drying ground helped, and she’ll hopefully go back to Fairyhouse for a handicap during Easter.”

Tim Toe (12/1 to 8/1) made a winning debut in the bumper, with the Joshua Tree gelding switched right in the straight by David Doyle to get a clear run before quickening up well to beat Eagle Of Destiny by a length and three-quarters.

“He is a very smart horse and had been showing us that the whole time. He was too pacey and probably hadn’t enough height to go point-to-pointing, so we decided to wait for a bumper,” said local trainer Pat Doyle.

“Roger O’Byrne is a wonderful owner of mine. He’s in America and we’ve had an awful lot of luck together.”