ANY Second Now will go for the Grand National off the back of a winning prep run for the third year in a row after a comfortable win in the rescheduled Grade 2 Webster Cup at Navan on Monday.

Ted Walsh’s gelding has been a model of consistency and versatility, having won this contest when it was run over two miles two seasons ago. Over the two and a half miles here, he raced prominently with market rival Velvet Elvis for most of the journey and put the race to bed quickly when Denis O’Regan really asked him to between the last two fences for a seven-length win.

“He did it nicely, he didn’t do any more than he had to do,” Walsh reflected. Denis was happy with him.

“Each time he has gone to Aintree, his last run has been a win. It has been great to have him and he has been a model of consistency.

“A month (to Aintree), I was glad this was on as it was called off here last week. He has a month from last Saturday which is grand. As long as he stays sound and healthy, he will go there. He has a big task with the top weight on his back.”

It was the 11-year-old’s seventh career win, which also included a Cheltenham Festival success (Kim Muir). Allotted a mark of 167 for the National, most will feel his chance has gone in that race after finishing third two years ago (off 152) and second last year (off 159) but he clearly handles the course well and this run showed he is in as good form as ever heading back.

On the runner-up Velvet Elvis, he ran a decent race over a possibly inadequate trip and likely goes for the Irish Grand National next.

Final

Senior Chief has the Red Mills Final on his radar after seeing off the intentions of Landrake in the two-mile-six-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Hurdle.

Henry de Bromhead’s gelding raced prominently alongside the Gordon Elliott-trained horse for most of the journey, and the pair of them pulled a healthy 11 lengths clear of Paul Marvel on the run-in.

The son of Gentlewave gave the impression he was only just doing enough inside the final furlong, so there could be plenty more to come.

“I’m delighted with that, he’s a lovely horse,” said de Bromhead. “I like the way he ground it out there. He’s still a baby, but he is improving all the time. He only needs to land there, you wouldn’t want to be getting there too soon.

“He’s qualified for the Red Mills Auction Final at Punchestown, so he’s entitled to go there. We wanted to get him a bit more experience.”

Elliott was out of luck until the last where he introduced a nice prospect in Farren Glory, who picked up smartly late on for Jamie Codd to take the bumper.

Owned by Galway native Michael Earls, the son of Fame And Glory had run well without winning in two point-to-points but scored at the first time of asking on the track here, and may go to Punchestown next or be kept for Galway.

IT was a fine day for J.P. McManus because his Better Times Ahead ran out a smooth winner in the Grade B Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Handicap Chase Final.

The Robert Tyner-trained gelding travelled strongly for Simon Torrens and was still going easily before the last, where even a sloppy jump proved no hindrance as he went away from runner-up Galon De Vauzelle with the minimum of fuss.

He was 1lb out of the handicap here, but he could have raced off a 10lb higher mark and still won, such was the ease of this victory; the combination of this longer trip (just short of three miles) and heavy ground seemingly working the oracle.

“He had a nice run the last day in Gowran Park, he finished fourth and it was a step forward a bit,” said Tyner. “He seemed to just handle conditions very well and probably handled them more than most of them. He stayed on and it was a nice pot to get. We’ll look at Fairyhouse and Punchestown for him but we’ll see what way the ground is.”

Declan Queally’s Carbon King had to deal with a 16lb higher mark for a 12-length win at Limerick but the horse he beat there, Buddy One, had boosted that form significantly since and so it wasn’t a great surprise the Mad About Dog Syndicate-owned gelding won again in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle.

Ridden by Shane Fitzgerald, the six-year-old took control of this two-mile contest with a smart jump at the last and was good value for a length-and-a-half winning margin over the running-on By Your Side. This was his third win in four starts but there could well be more to come.

Cawley’s back-to-back wins

FOR the second year in a row, local owner-trainer Eddie Cawley took the Kilberry Handicap Chase, this time with Misty Hollow.

The 10-year-old’s win here owed plenty to a fine ride by JJ Slevin, who sat him well off the strong pace set by Razzle Dazzle Love, and brought him through late on to pick off Pat’s Choice.

“He had been off a long time and was ready to run at Christmas, and then they all got sick on me and started coughing a bit and all that,” Cawley reported. “Two months ago I thought I wouldn’t get ground to run him, he wants soft ground.

“I’m delighted, we always thought he was half-decent. He’s 10 years of age but he’s had his own few problems. He got a bad fall one day in Limerick and did a bit of damage to himself. We have plenty to build on.”

Strongly

The opening two-mile maiden hurdle went to Denis Hogan’s Thecompanysergeant who stayed on strongly on the run-in for Donagh Meyler to get the better of a protracted battle with Smooth Player.

The Martin Cooney-owned gelding had run well to be third in a Cheltenham bumper earlier in the season and backed up a fine first effort over hurdles when he was just beaten a head by Bialystok at Naas.

Hogan reported afterwards that he viewed the horse as a potential Albert Bartlett type earlier in the year so there could be a lot more to come from him over a longer trip.