PEOPLES PARK served notice that he is a handicapper firmly on the up as he produced much his best effort to date over fences to win the €50,000 Easyfix Handicap Chase with plenty to spare.

The Tom Taaffe-trained horse, whose previous success over fences came in a Ballinrobe beginner’s chase, warmed up for this with an outing at Galway in October but much better was expected this time. The Mark Walsh-ridden gelding headed the market at 7/2 and was quite at home in a race run at a frenetic early pace. In between the last two fences of this extended two miles contest Peoples Park eased past the front running Mister Hotelier.

After a safe jump at the last, Peoples Park brushed aside Caolaneoin and Art Of Payroll to finish with six and a half lengths to spare.

“He jumped and travelled and coped well with the strong pace. He’s a tough horse and is probably jsut growing up too. I’d imagine we’ll find a slot for him at Leopardstown over Christmas,” reported Taaffe.

An excellent half an hour for Taaffe, Walsh and McManus concluded with the success of I Knew Well in the other handicap chase. This race was a late edition to the card following the cancellation of the last race at Gowran the previous weekend and, as he was seven days previously, I Knew Well was among the leading fancies.

The 2/1 favourite was travelling notably well off the final bend and Walsh produced him to perfection on the run in to defeat Effernock Lad by a length and a quarter.

“He followed up a good run at Naas (third to Effernock Lad) and we’ll plot our way along with him. He jumped well and was very good at the last when he needed to be,” declared the trainer.

Martello Tower (11/10) is in line for a return to the big time after his gritty success in the Jim Ryan Racecourse Services Beginners Chase. Fresh from a heartening chasing debut at Naas last month the Margaret Mullins-trained gelding was looking to record his first win since his 2015 Cheltenham Festival heroics. From the turn into the straight Martello Tower went toe-to-toe with the front-running Acapella Bourgeois and Denis O’Regan’s mount gained the upper hand after the last. In the closing strides the Barry Connell-owned gelding was clinging on from the oncoming A Genie In Abottle and the line arrived in time for him to prevail by a neck.

“I’m delighted with him, he always only just does enough. Denis felt that ground was possibly lively enough for him,” commented the trainer. “He’s come on from the last day and fingers crossed we can look towards Christmas with him. He’s entered in the three-mile novice (Grade 1 Neville Hotels Novice Chase) at Leopardstown.”

TRIUMPHANT DISPLAY

A tremendously game effort from Sneezy Foster’s Not For Burning (4/1) deservedly carried the day in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Handicap Chase. The nine-year-old turned in an especially enthusiastic display from the front under Robbie Power and gave a faultless exhibition of jumping. Despite her best efforts the favourite Emcon could never quite reel in the leader and went down by two lengths.

“She loves to jump and that won it for her,” observed the trainer whose charge is owned by David O’Connell and Eric Allen. “The ground was a shade quick for her and she’d prefer a longer trip but Robbie just let her jump and run.”

After his encouraging third to Moulin A Vent at Punchestown, Gordon Elliott’s Runfordave secured the Irish Racing Yearbook Maiden Hurdle. Traditionally this two and a quarter-mile event is an informative affair and this edition looks no different with the race likely to produce its share of winners in the coming weeks.

For his part, Runfordave (4/1) turned in a likeable display under Jack Kennedy. He wasn’t going quite as well as some of his rivals turning for home but knuckled down very well under pressure. The Patricia Sloan-owned gelding first dealt with Castello Sforza and then battled on tenaciously on the run in to score by a head having briefly lost the lead to the newcomer Capital Force. “I think he’s a smart horse. He battled well and I think he’ll improve over a bit further. He’ll step up in grade in a few week’s time,” declared Elliott.

UNBEATEN

Bel Ami De Sivola (9/4) remained unbeaten for the season with an unrelenting front running effort in the two and a half-mile rated novice hurdle. As he went in search of a hat-trick, the Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding set off at a brisk pace under Sean Flanagan with the result that very few were in contention entering the last half-mile. Hard as he tried, Bilko couldn’t reel in the leader in the straight and it was left to a rallying Teacher’s Pet to finish a three-quarter-length second.

“I think he could be a very nice horse as a chaser,” reflected Noel Meade. “I liked him last year but he was very weak and, fair play to the lads, they said give him time and he’s comes back a lot stronger. I don’t think three miles will be a problem for him.”

J.P. McManus ended the day with a treble as the Willie Mullins newcomer Bon Papa made a bright start to his career in the Kettles Hotel Supporting Fingal Ravens GAA Fundraiser Flat Race. Patrick Mullins eased the 1/2 favourite into the lead early in the straight and the son of Network, who hails from a good French jumping family, galloped away from Broken Soul to pull six and a half lengths clear.

“He’s a fine, big chasing type. We might go jumping hurdles with him now and we’d like to get him going over fences next season,” declared Mullins.

Irish National-winning jockey Ben Dalton rode out his claim as the Des McDonogh-trained Maighnealta upstaged some better fancied rivals in the 80-116 rated handicap hurdle. The 14/1 shot looked as though he might be picked off by Veinard nearing the last but he was quicker away from that flight and he crossed the line with two and a half lengths to spare.

“He’s a homebred and lovely big horse who will jump a fence in time but we’ll keep him going over hurdles for the moment,” stated a delighted McDonogh, whose wife Helen owns the son of Court Cave with Jackie Bolger.

ACTING STEWARDS

R. Dore, P.N. Reynolds, W. Flood, Judge L. Reynolds, S.Quinn.

HORSE TO FOLLOW

CAPITAL FORCE (H. de Bromhead): This unraced son of Kayf Tara ran a race of major promise on his debut when only just denied by Runfordave in the maiden hurdle. He could progress into a novice of some substance in the coming months.