STATTLER booked his place in the line-up for next month’s National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham as he registered a gritty success in the Grade 3 Naas Racecourse Business Club Novice Chase to make it two wins from as many start over fences as he kicked off a treble for Willie Mullins.
Another quality sort to carry the colours of Ronnie Bartlett, the 11/10 favourite was looking for his first win over three miles in a quality contest and he saw out this trip in splendid fashion to edge out the Grade 1 runner-up Farouk D’Alene.
Folded
The latter took over in front turning for home as En Beton folded and he held the lead over the last two fences, but on the run-in he couldn’t quite contain Paul Townend’s mount who got home by a length and a quarter. The front two finished 17 lengths in advance of last season’s Albert Bartlett winner Vanillier.
“His jumping was a little novicey but he was taking a big step-up in class and going three miles today helped him given how he jumped. I think he will go for the National Hunt Chase now and the extra five furlongs of that race should suit,” declared the champion trainer.
Winning Guy
A fine first season on the track for the Mullins-trained The Nice Guy (6/5) continued as he made a winning start over flights in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle over just short of two and a half miles.
Unbeaten in two bumpers, the Malcom Denmark-owned son of Presenting was sent off the 6/5 favourite under Paul Townend. He lengthened away in good style from the last to finish some nine lengths clear of The Short Go, although the winner’s stablemate Ramillies could have made things interesting had he not lost his hind end at the last which saw him have to settle for third.
“He jumps well, he stays well and he could go out in trip. The Albert Bartlett is there and I’ll speak to the owner about whether he goes there or stays at home for the spring,” declared Mullins.
Mullins’ milestone
The concluding leg of the treble featured a notable milestone as Patrick Mullins reached a new high in his career when making it 700 winners in the saddle aboard the Walk In The Park newcomer Seabank Bistro (5/4) in the BetVictor-sponsored bumper over two miles, three furlongs.
Also bred by his trainer, the five-year-old looked a little green on occasion but he arrived travelling strongly to hit the front two furlongs from home and he always had the measure of the willing odds-on favourite Santonito who went down by five lengths and finished some 28 lengths clear of the others.
“He’s a big green horse but I was impressed with that performance. I’d imagine he will get a Cheltenham ticket after that,” remarked the trainer.
THE classy Darasso took his career earnings past €400,000 as he bagged the fourth win of a varied campaign in the Grade 3 BetVictor Limestone Lad Hurdle.
Joseph O’Brien’s nine-year-old had to give upwards of 5lb to his rivals headed by the promising Saint Felicien but proved more than equal to the task at hand, on his first outing since finishing fourth to Honeysuckle in the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace in November.
Darasso, who also contested September’s Kerry National, was produced by Mark Walsh to tackle Saint Felicien after two out and from the last the J.P. McManus-owned gelding had the measure of the odds-on favourite.
At the line Darasso had three and a quarter lengths to spare, and Whiskey Sour shaped promisingly to lie a further half a length back in third.
“That was a good performance and he’s a real star. He turns up in all these good races and runs his race every time, he’s such a consistent horse. Mark said he just missed the second last a little but he just went away from them after the last and he’s won nicely,” reflected the trainer’s representative Brendan Powell.
The same connections struck with Champion Green who enjoyed a straightforward success in the first division of the four-year-old maiden hurdle.
The 4/6 favourite made all the running for Mark Walsh and was untroubled throughout before only needing to be nudged along in the closing stages to maintain a clear lead. The McManus homebred finished with three and a half lengths to spare over Magic Word.
“He’s been a bit keen and the last time the saddle went up his neck so Mark has decided to make the running which has made him look at his hurdles and settle better. We’ll see what sort of mark he gets and whether he’ll be a Boodles (Fred Winter) horse or not,” declared Powell.
O’Reilly’s Man
The other division of that maiden hurdle went to Paul Fahey as Man O Work (3/1), who shaped nicely in seventh behind Icare Allen on his racecourse debut at Leopardstown over Christmas, struck under Cian Cullinan.
The Charles O’Reilly-owned and bred gelding took charge of this race after two out and kept on willingly to defeat Global Export by a length and a half.
“He had a nice run over Christmas when he was very green. He’s improved from that and hopefully he’ll improve again. I’d imagine he’ll go for a winners’ race but we won’t overdo it with him as he’s only four,” commented Fahey.
PHILIP Dempsey and his son Luke combined to land the two-and-a-half-mile novice handicap chase with Handsworth who belied odds of 22/1.
Even though his price may have suggested otherwise, the Brian Pierce-owned winner came here off a series of decent runs and he won at Navan on his penultimate outing.
Handsworth overhauled the strong-travelling favourite Krabat on the run-in before holding off that rival’s late rally by a neck.
Call The Tune was the same distance back in third and his jockey Donie McInerney picked up a seven-day whip ban.
“He just seems to have turned a corner and he’s definitely a better horse over fences. He is a better horse left-handed and we’ll try to keep him going this way around,” reported Dempsey.
Brave Belief
A brave effort was rewarded in the two-mile handicap hurdle where Bigz Belief (7/1) struck for Matthew Smith and Sam Ewing. The capable dual purpose runner, who is owned by Debbie Kelly, set a steady tempo and then kept on well when the sprint for home began in earnest.
He turned away a number of menacing challengers before reaching the line one and three-quarter lengths ahead of the veteran Golden Spear.
Cracking
“He had a cracking run the last day (third to An Epic Song at Punchestown) and we expected him to run well. Sam’s is a great young lad. He’s ridden winners for us on the flat and that’s his first for us over jumps,” stated Smith.