SIZING Pottsie is wasting little time developing into a potent force over fences and in the space of just 10 days he went from a beginners’ chase victory to landing the Grade 3 Flyingbolt Novice Chase at this rescheduled fixture.

A second consecutive winner of this race for Jessica Harrington, Sizing Pottsie looked a horse of considerable promise earlier in his career and he has rapidly started to fulfil that potential.

This two-mile affair looked a far stiffer test than the one the Ann & Alan Potts Limited-owned six-year-old faced last time but he was more than ready for this rise in class.

Robbie Power got the son of Kapgarde to the front with three to jump and Sizing Pottsie had the favourite, Cut The Mustard, toiling in between the last two fences before going on to beat her by a dozen lengths.

“That was a good performance. The chase track is very heavy but he handles this ground well and it was a brave call by Jessie to come back so quickly with him after Fairyhouse,” said Power. “He’s always been a promising horse but chasing is his game. On better ground he may want two and a half miles.”

Although they were out of luck with Cut The Mustard, Willie Mullins and Paul Townend struck with Golden Spread (3/1) who bounced back to the form that carried him to a pair of bumper victories last season by taking the two-and-three-quarter-mile maiden hurdle.

A patient Townend took his time off a strong enough pace and Golden Spread dug deep when required after the last to see off Bois De Clamart by a length. The seven-year-old son of Duke Of Marmalade is owned by Probus Racing and the Ken Sharp Syndicate.

“He’s been a bit disappointing so far this season but he found some of his old form there and the race worked out well for him. Three miles and fences is what he wants,” declared Townend.

Cappacurry Zak (5/1) continued his industrious return to the racecourse in the veterans’ handicap chase over three miles. The 11-year-old, who won a similar event at Limerick over Christmas after a couple of point-to-point outings, was once again ridden by Ryan Treacy and he saw off the favourite Wishmoor after the final fence to score by four and a quarter lengths.

The Arakan gelding is owned by his breeder Tom Treacy and Sean O’Connell and was notching up the seventh victory of his career.

Scarlet back on track in Gigginstown double

THE promising Scarlet And Dove (5/4) got back on track for the season with a clear-cut triumph in the two-mile mares’ maiden hurdle. Joseph O’Brien’s charge disappointed at Limerick over Christmas when she was reported to have hung badly but she bounced back in resounding style.

The Gigginstown House Stud-owned mare gave the impression that she had Flying Risk covered from before the final flight and she finished out strongly for J.J. Slevin to pull seven lengths clear.

“She’s a big strong mare who handled the ground well. Limerick was disappointing but she’s always looked a very nice mare at home and she’s back on track now,” stated Slevin.

Punitive (5/1) made it a double for Gigginstown as he notched up a third win from his last four starts in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle.

Henry de Bromhead’s charge won over this course and distance on his last start in mid-January and produced another willing effort under Hugh Morgan who judged things to perfection from the front.

The Shantou gelding was headed early in the straight but the rider had every confidence in his mount and that faith was justified as Punitive was back in the outright lead with two to jump and went on to see off Even Flight by three lengths.

Elliott notches up 150 winners and counting

GORDON Elliott made it 150 winners for the season in Ireland as a gamble on his own Metal Man (16/1 - 6/1) came off when he made all the running for Davy Russell in the four-year-old maiden hurdle.

The Australia gelding showed a degree of promise on his initial outings over timber but took a marked step forward this time. From some way out, the Elliott-owned Metal Man was chased by his odds-on stablemate Galet D’Oudairies and the latter still held every chance at the last but he faded on the run in as the winner stayed on strongly to finish four lengths ahead of Annie Pender.

The stewards enquired into the improvement in form of the winner and noted the explanation offered.

The sparingly campaigned 10-year-old Spare Brakes (5/1) took his tally to four wins from 22 career starts in the extended two-mile handicap chase where the testing conditions saw just five of the 10 runners completed.

For the third time in four starts, the brave Conright Boy led over the last only to be picked off by the strong-travelling Spare Brakes and Philip Enright who went on to score by two lengths. Robert Tyner trains the son of Westerner for his wife Mary.