IN a race where the great Tiger Roll twice came up short, his Gordon Elliott-trained stablemate Champagne Classic showed that he should be set for a good season after disposing of Discorama in the Listed M.W. Hickey Memorial Chase.

Only four runners went to post for the track’s biggest race of the year but this quartet featured the aforementioned duo who boasted impressive credentials. Champagne Classic is a former Cheltenham Festival hero and the 149-rated Discorama was second in the National Hunt Chase in March before ending his season with a runner-up finish to Delta Work in Puchestown.

Champagne Classic’s novice status meant that he was in receipt of a useful 5lbs and he also had the benefit of a recent run having won a beginners’ race at Fairyhouse last month.

The Gigginstown House Stud-owned Champagne Classic (6/4) did everything right for Robbie Power and eased to the head of the field shortly after the third last. From this point on he always seemed to have the measure of Discorama who went down by three and three-quarter lengths.

“He’s a smart horse,” reported Elliott. “We’ll look at all the good staying novice chases with him and in the short term the Florida Pearl at Punchestown or the Drinmore would look like good options for him.”

Stylish

Elliott and Gigginstown then followed up with the impressive Eclair De Beaufeu in the Poolcourt Beginners Chase. Keith Donoghue’s mount was a 7/4 favourite to improve on his second to Notebook at Punchestown and did so in style.

He jumped well and moved into an ever increasing lead some way from home, eventually finishing with 19 lengths to spare over Star Max. The Craddockstown Novice Chase at Punchestown in a fortnight’s time could be next for him.

Axiomatic made a bold bid to give Elliott a treble but he had to settle for second in the bumper and give best to the Barry O’Neill Fortune Street who rounded off an excellent bank holiday weekend for Paul Nolan.

The Manverton Limited-owned gelding, who was placed in this race last year, was a 9/4 chance to build on a pleasing third to The Little Yank at Cork recently and did so in straight-forward fashion to score by six and a half lengths. This useful son of Soldier Of Fortune wants soft ground and could head for a winners’ bumper according to Nolan.

LIZ Doyle’s string have really come alive over the last month and excellent run for the trainer continued with the victory of the promising Cayd Boy in the County Wexford Vintners Maiden Hurdle.

A debut winner of a Limerick bumper last March, this J.P. McManus-owned four-year-old was returned a well backed 11/10 favourite when the same owner’s Front View came out of the race owing to a temperature.

Mark Walsh switched from Front View to this son of No Risk At All who quickly dealt with the threat of the 33/1 newcomer Coolbane Boy turning for home before a near five-length triumph over the staying-on Friary Rock.

For the second day in succession Joseph O’Brien enjoyed winners at both meetings and his success here came courtesy of Anything Will Do in the Kehoe Farming Rated Novice Hurdle. Now a dual winner from just three career outings, this Annus Mirabilis Syndicate-owned gelding was returned the 6/4 favourite under J.J. Slevin.

Despite his inexperience, the Westerner four-year-old produced bold jumps at the last two flights to keep several pursuers at bay and he got to the line a couple of lengths in front of the well-backed Owenacurra Lass.

IT has been a terrific few weeks for Shumaker who notched up a third victory in succession in the IRIS Opportunity Handicap Hurdle.

Antrim-based Paul Traynor, who is a farrier by trade, trains this progressive seven-year-old for his partner Karen McNeilly and he once again produced Shumaker in fine shape to defy a career-high mark of 105 in this two-mile race.

Darragh O’Keeffe struck for home off the last bend on this son of Whitmore’s Conn and the 9/10 shot was always doing enough in the closing stages to hold the rallying front-runner Crazyheart. The winner could turn out again at Down Royal this afternoon.

As well as landing the day’s feature, Robbie Power was also successful on Silver Sheen (15/8) in the Michael Moore Car Sales Maiden Hurdle.

The former winning pointer was a respectable fourth to Rocket Lad in a Gowran Park maiden last month and that was good enough for him to head the market in race restricted to horses who had never previously reached the first three.

Jessica Harrington’s charge moved to the head of the field inside the final half mile and sustained that effort to prevail by two and a half lengths from Mc Alpine. Silver Sheen is owned by John Turner.