BLACKBOW produced a performance befitting his status as the 30/100 favourite in the conditions chase over just short of two and a half miles to book a potential trip to Liverpool in less than a fortnight.

After a succession of good runs in quality company, the Willie Mullins inmate looked to have been found a straightforward task under Paul Townend.

Supporters of the Roaringwater Syndicate never had a moment’s worry as Blackbow dictated matters and from early on the final circuit he looked to have chief rival Spyglass Hill in trouble.

The latter clung in until the turn-in but in the closing stages the 155-rated Blackbow was just far too strong and he pulled 36 lengths clear to win his first race since November 2020.

“Paul let him gallop and jump and he’s done that nicely. We’re going to look at the Topham at Aintree with him now. It might come a bit soon and if it does we have Fairyhouse and Punchestown,” declared the champion trainer.

Kent in charge

Klarc Kent and Jody Townend brought up a double for Mullins in the bumper where the six-year-old built on respectable efforts at Fairyhouse and Navan.

One of two runners for the trainer, whose 6/5 favourite High City Roller (blowing hard post-race) finished tailed off, Klarc Kent produced a nice effort.

He took charge of the race entering the last quarter of a mile and stuck to his task to defeat the well-supported Suain Na Draiocht by four and half lengths.

The winner carries the colours of Colm O’Connell whose late father, Eddie, owned the brilliant Un De Sceaux.

Plains Indian charges home

THERE was a Cheltenham theme to several of the day’s races and one of those was supplied by Plains Indian who bolted up in the two-mile maiden hurdle.

This Eithne Thompson-owned gelding had chased home the subsequent County Hurdle winner State Man in a Limerick maiden last month before then filling the runner-up spot over this course and distance a few weeks later.

Plains Indian might well have won a maiden here last month only to fall at the last, but he justified his position as the 1/2 favourite here with plenty to spare. Cian Quirke was on board the Andy Slattery inmate who enjoyed a smooth dozen-length triumph.

“We’ll go for a Grade B handicap hurdle at Cork over Easter,” remarked Slattery who intends to keep his charge on the go for the summer.

Maxxum makes it

The other maiden hurdle went to Eugene O’Sullivan and Jordan Canavan as Maxxum struck in a race for horses who had never previously been placed.

The 100/30 joint-favourite had shown progression in his three initial outings and took advantage of this drop in grade.

After getting to the front early in the straight, he wasn’t all that fluent at the last couple of flights but still had enough in reserve to account for the 40/1 shot Taki Rank by two and three-quarter lengths.

The five-year-old son of Westerner is owned by his breeder Patrick Rabbitt and is likely to have one or two more runs before being left off for the summer.

A GREAT run for Gavin Cromwell continued into the two-mile beginners’ chase for horses rated 109 or less over hurdles as Shantou Lucky struck under Darragh O’Keeffe. After starting out over fences with a respectable third to Mt Leinster at Leopardstown, the Lucky Seven Syndicate-owned gelding was taking a marked drop in grade.

Shantou Lucky moved ahead of Yabo with two to jump but the latter stayed in touch with a better jump at the final fence and pressed the winner to the line where there was three-quarters of a length separating the front pair.

“He’s really taken to chasing. I think the fences have lit him up. Hopefully it doesn’t dry out too much and if it doesn’t, he’ll stay on the go,” remarked Cromwell.

Scarpeta, who finished fourth to Samcro in the Ballymore at Cheltenham this time four years ago, ended a winless run stretching back to March 2019 in the claiming hurdle over two and a quarter miles.

After making much of the running for Peter Carberry, Andrew McNamara’s charge looked to be in trouble when the in-form favourite Spare Brakes loomed up to dispute the lead coming to the last.

Winner unclaimed

However, the market leader wasn’t too fluent there and Scarpeta (15/2) seized on this opportunity to go clear again on the run-in to carry the day by just under four lengths.

There were no claims for the I’m A Game Changer Syndicate-owned winner, although Vincent Ward did pick up the runner-up for €5,000.

Busy Bee

There was a rather improbable trifecta in the 80-95 rated two-mile handicap hurdle which served up a dramatic conclusion resulting in victory for the Philip Rothwell-owned and trained 33/1 chance Big Bee Hive, who accounted for the 80/1 chance Early Arrival, with the 125/1 shot I’vedoneitall back in third.

Phidelma Elvin was on board Big Bee Hive who made the most of the opportunity left by the strong-travelling Gargouille when she overjumped and came down at the second last when looking sure to score. The 83-rated winner got home by a length and a quarter from Early Arrival.