PRAVALAGUNA has her sights set on Cheltenham as the freewheeling seven-year-old dominated the Listed BBA Ireland Limited Opera Hat Mares’ Chase to give Willie Mullins his third victory in four years in the day’s feature.
The victorious daughter of Great Pretender was having just her third run over fences and showed a fine appetite for the demands of this discipline. From an early stage of this two-mile event, the Paul Townend-ridden 8/13 favourite began to pile on the pressure from the front and gained ground at a number of fences.
Admittedly the Bruton Street VI-owned mare got the fifth last wrong, and Townend briefly lost one of his irons, but she was soon back on an even keel. Baie Des Iles and Teachers Pet were both close enough turning for home but neither had any response as Pravalaguna pressed on again from the second last. She kept up a strong gallop to score by 14 lengths.
“She was galloping on strongly at the end and I’d say she’d have no problem going another half a mile in trip,” said Mullins who won this race with the subsequent Cheltenham heroine Benie Des Dieux 12 months ago.
“The Arkle is a possibility and she is in the JLT too. She got a horrible fall in France a couple of seasons ago and she’s done very well to come back from that.”
CHELTENHAM WARM UP
Odds of 1/5 suggested that City Island faced the most straightforward of tasks in his warm-up for Cheltenham and Martin Brassil’s charge duly dominated the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Novice Hurdle.
The Echo Boy made this near two-and-a-half-mile contest a good test from the front but he could offer no response when the Bernardine Mulryan-owned gelding eased ahead for Mark Walsh after two out. City Island could afford the luxury of being eased down for a seven-length success.
“It looked an ideal race for him before he goes across to the Ballymore,” reported Brassil.
“Cheltenham has been the plan since Galway and we picked out a couple of races since then that looked as though they would suit him. He’s a nice horse and Mark thinks he will stay three miles so the trip of the Ballymore should suit him.”
Each week seems to bring with it a performance of real note from a Joseph O’Brien four-year-old and Band Of Outlaws (5/2) was last week’s star for the trainer in the EMS Copiers Rated Novice Hurdle. J.J. Slevin had still to ask the Limerick winner for his effort as the last flight loomed and the pair had several lengths to find on the front-running Maze Runner at this stage.
However, Band Of Outlaws picked up when asked to quicken up and he shot to the front on the run in to score by four and three-quarter lengths. The winner’s stablemate and favourite Konitho was a disappointing fifth.
“It was a steadily run race and he was a seven-furlong or mile horse on the flat so the race was probably run to suit him,” said the trainer of the Justin Carthy-owned gelding.
“I don’t know if he’d go for the Triumph. Maybe he’d be one to stay at home but I guess he could be one for the Fred Winter.”
TIGHT FINISH
Joseph O’Brien also bagged the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle as Eviscerating (10/1) edged the tightest of finishes under Evan Daly. The Gigginstown House-owned grey dug deep from before the last to fend off his stablemate Commandant and then somehow managed to hold the late lunge of Coral Blue by a nose.
“It’s lucky he has such a big head,” quipped O’Brien. “It’s nice he’s won as he’s been threatening to do that and he got a lovely ride from Evan. He’s a big horse and is going to be better over fences.”
Emily Moon (6/1-4/1) could have earned a tilt at the mares’ novice hurdle at Cheltenham after running riot in the first division of the Cavan Developments Maiden Hurdle. The Jessica Harrington-trained and Jane Myerscough-owned mare went straight to the front for Robbie Power and this was the last that her rivals saw of her.
She already held a commanding lead when she turned for home and she increased that advantage over the course of the straight to hand out a 14-length beating to the favourite, Debuchet.
“I’d say coming back to two miles has suited her as she loved being let roll from the front. When I looked around halfway up the run in I couldn’t believe how far clear I was. It was a good performance,” reflected Power.
All For Joy looked set to give race sponsor Oliver McKiernan a victory in the second divide of the Cavan Developments Maiden Hurdle when he took over in front on the run-in but the favourite couldn’t contain the rallying Advantage Point (5/1).
The victorious six-year-old made the running for Robbie Colgan and he showed a splendid attitude to get back in front nearing the line after an awkward jump at the last.
“Even though he’s six he is still only a baby and chasing will be his game, but we’ll look after him for the rest of this season as he’s still big and raw. He will have to move up in grade now though,” commented Harty who trains the gelding for the Nora’s Boys Partnership.
The well-touted Barnes Des Mottes (4/1) made a winning debut in the Jordan’s Centra-sponsored four-year-old bumper to vindicate the regard in which he has always been held by trainer Liz Doyle.
The M L Bloodstock-owned gelding, who avoided a nasty three-horse pile up on the turn for home, looked to have most of his rivals covered shortly after straightening up.
When he was asked to assert by Finny Maguire the Full Of Gold gelding knuckled down well to defeat fellow newcomer No Grey Area’s by an assured four lengths. Happily, all horses and jockeys were up after that incident at the entrance to the straight.
“He’s a very nice horse. He was in training this time last year and his first bit of work was excellent. When they please you in everything they do at home you want to see them do it when they come to the track and he’s a proper horse,” reflected the trainer. “If he’s not sold he’ll go for another bumper.”
He hasn’t been at all convincing since switching to fences, but Roaring Bull (7/1) produced his best effort to date over the larger obstacles in the O’Driscoll O’Neill Handicap Chase.
Gordon Elliott’s charge didn’t look overly enthusiastic early on but Jack Kennedy cajoled his mount along and Roaring Bull warmed to his task with the result that the outcome concerned only him and Velocity Boy from early in the straight.
The last-named could do no more after the final fence and Roaring Bull pulled 14 lengths clear.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
YOU CAN CALL ME AL (E.J.O’Grady): He made a promising start to his career when taking fourth in the maiden and it shouldn’t be long before he is making his mark.
ACTING STEWARDS
M. Cosgrave, J. Powell, Ms. M. O’Connor,
C.J. O’Reilly,
P.D. Matthews