MISTER Policeman (4/9) was made to work hard to claim victory on his chasing debut. It was a 1-2 for Rich Ricci and Willie Mullins as the same connections also finished second with Feu Du Bresil.

The eventual winner sat prominently in third for most of the contest.

As they jumped the third last, Mister Policeman came alongside his stablemate and from there the two engaged in a tactical battle to the line. It looked as if Danny Mullins and Feu Du Bresil were going to come out on top, however Paul Townend and Mister Policeman dug deep. At the 50-yard marker, the pair got their head in front and held on to score.

“It was messy, we went very slow, he missed the second last and Danny got away on me,” said Townend. “His jumping can sharpen up and I’d say a faster pace will help his jumping. We were on the back foot after missing the second last. After going that steady Danny winged the second last and got away. We had to pick him up and when I did give him a flick he extended and quickened nicely.”

The Jessica Harrington-trained Jetara (4/7) broke her hurdle duck on the sixth attempt as she took the opening mares’ maiden hurdle. Jetara was a comfortable 16 lengths clear of her rivals as she passed the winning post under a motionless Jack Kennedy. After reeling in the pacesetter Jazzie De Challiac, Jetara and Kennedy jumped into the lead at the second last and showed a good turn of foot to quickly dispose of her nearest rival in the betting, Hashtag Be Kind.

“It’s lovely to get a maiden hurdle and she did it right today, she relaxed today,” said Harrington. “She went in the ground, heavy is not really for that family. She’ll go along the mares’ route and it’ll be two-and-a-half miles. She has blacktype in bumpers and now we’ll try and get blacktype over hurdles for her, she’s a beautifully bred filly.”

Better Days Ahead gives Kennedy a quick-fire double

THE talented Gordon Elliott-trained Better Days Ahead (2/9) made amends for his fall on his hurdling debut by giving Jack Kennedy a quick-fire double in the second race of the afternoon. The son of Milan justified short odds by returning an 11-length winner for owners Bective Stud. Comfortable the whole way around, Kennedy shook up his mount after jumping the second last. The five-year-old responded and kicked clear to run out the comfortable winner of the contest.

“Jack said he would have done more at home and it was a nice school around for him,” said Elliott. “It was a nice confidence booster after falling the last day. He jumped great there today. He could go back to Navan in a few weeks’ time for one of those novice hurdles there because he didn’t have a hard race there. He probably likes a bit of soft ground, the way he handled it there.”

There was an exciting climax to the three mile, half a furlong INHSC Supporting Point-To-Points Hunters Chase when Grange Island (18/5), the favourite Global Assembly and Dromleigh raced to the last together. Mikey O’Connor on Grange Island held the advantage and maintained it on the run to the line to score by half a length for Liam Burke and owner Martin C Fleming. The front three were 23 lengths ahead of the fourth.

“Mikey gets a great tune out of him, he’s very laid-back but he gets on with him,” said Burke. He won a hunter chase well at Clonmel last season. He runs better fresh because he disappointed at the end of last season. We’ll tick away with him. We could go for the Tetratema (Hunters Chase) at Gowran with him.”

Jockey Oran McGill conjured up a great run from Danny The Fence (15/2) after the last in the John Thomas McNamara Series (Q.R.) Handicap Hurdle over just short of three miles. The Karl Thornton-trained Danny The Fence was almost 10 lengths off the leaders turning into the straight as Mick Charlie and Merry Moves looked to have it between them racing to the last. McGill got a sustained run from the Gary Ryan-owned six-year-old and he went clear to win by three lengths. Winning trainer Karl Thornton said: “That was grand. We went to Carlisle and I’d say the ground was too quick for him.”

Shark Jnr set to have ‘good fun’ on Dragon Rock

DRAGON Rock (13/2) and Barry O’Neill ran out a comprehensive winner of the third running of the Lorna Brooke Ireland V Britain (Q.R.) Challenge Handicap Chase over an extended three miles.

The John-Ryan-trained Kilashee made most of the running with Weihnachts in second but the leader was being challenged as O’Neill produced Shark Hanlon’s charge to take it up at the second last and Kilashee crashed out.

From there it was plain sailing down to the last where despite taking a bit of a chance, the seven-year-old stayed clear and came home nine lengths to the good. Joint-favourite Broken Ice took second, with Weihnachts four lengths back in third.

Shark Hanlon said afterwards: “He loves soft ground and loves a trip. I bought him out of Willie’s last year for seven grand. “My own young lad has actually got his licence in England today and we’re absolutely thrilled, he’s only 16. He can ride in hunter chases and some of those chases in England. If he has, we’re not going to stop it. He’s a good fun horse and he jumps well.”

Patrick and Emmett Mullins teamed up to take the finale with Jeroboam Machin (7/4) in comfortable fashion and in doing so turned over the odds-on favourite D.B Cooper. At the three-furlong pole, the two market leaders kicked clear of the field. From there Jeroboam Machin always looked more comfortable than Elliott’s D.B Cooper, and the son of Joshua Tree ran out an easy four and a quarter length winner.

“He’s a nice horse, he came well recommended from Cormac (Doyle) and did it well in his point-to-point,” said Mullins. He’s not the flashiest horse at home but no matter what we worked him with, lesser lights or better horses, he was always there within half a length. Patrick knew the craic with him and felt that he’d give him a good education here today, hopefully he’ll come on plenty for it.”