ANDREW McNamara recorded the biggest success of his training career when 33/1 outsider Enjoy The Dream upset the highly-touted Blood Destiny with a taking win in the Grade 2 Donohue Marquees Juvenile Hurdle under Darragh O’Keeffe.

Andrew Heffernan’s four-year-old filly by Mastercraftsman looks a decent buy at 160,000gns, now a Grade 2 winner and listed placed on the flat in her native Germany.

Bred to be useful, being a half-sister to a German Derby second out of a listed winner, Enjoy The Dream was thought of highly enough that her previous connections let her contest last year’s German Oaks.

Blood Destiny (8/11 favourite) was let down by his jumping at times and appeared to pay the price for his Cheltenham exertions (last seen finishing ninth in the Triumph Hurdle) when being reeled in on the run-in by the promising three-length winner.

A tilt at the Grade 1 Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival could be next.

“We were hoping she might run into third or fourth,” said McNamara. “After the third last, I thought she was going to run a lovely race, and when she straightened up I thought we were in with a shout.

“She only had one run over hurdles [when third in a maiden hurdle at Gowran Park], and I thought if we were going to lose our novice status at this time of year, we may as well make it worthwhile.

“We don’t get too many shots to buy a horse with a chance to be a graded performer. Realistically, she’s the only one we’ve had that was in the price range that might end up in graded company, so it’s nice that it worked out.”

Telecon comes up trumps

Another trainer who managed to land a blow against the powerhouse stables on Irish Grand National day was Mark Fahey, whose unexposed six-year-old Telecon ran out a ready winner of the opening Farmhouse Foods Novice Handicap Hurdle under Ricky Doyle.

There had been decent market support behind the Pat McCarthy-owned winner, who scored by four and a half lengths at 14/1 (from 33/1) on his first start since finishing fourth at Bellewstown last August.

Fahey said: “He seems to be a bit stronger this season, and Ricky gave him a great ride. We were blessed that it was the first race before the rain got into the ground because he does like decent ground.

“We think highly of him, and it was great to win a race like this on a big day. He will jump a fence too. Ian McCarthy had him when he was third in his point to point, and he highly recommended him to us. I’m delighted for Pat McCarthy, who is a local man and the best owner you could ever think of - he’s a dream to deal with.”

WILLIE Mullins swept the remaining pair of Grade 2 events on the card, saddling the 1-2 in both contests.

There was drama in the McInerney Properties Fairyhouse Chase as Janidil crashed out at the final fence with the race at his mercy, leaving stablemate Easy Game in isolation to bring up a third consecutive win in the race at 2/1.

The late faller, sent off the 8/11 favourite, appeared to jump the last fine but came to grief on the landing side in a most unfortunate twist. Easy Game finished 81 lengths clear of only other finisher Royal Rendezvous, who picked up €20,000 in prize money for his effort.

Assistant trainer David Casey said: “We were just fortunate we had one coming behind when Janidil came down. It’s great for Easy Game to win the race for a third time. Obviously, he had luck on his side, but that’s what you need sometimes. He’s a wonderful horse. I thought the ground had gone a little bit soft for him today, but luckily, he was there to pick up the pieces.

“Janidil looks fine afterwards. It seemed as though he had jumped it well, but he slipped or didn’t get out his landing gear in front. Mark [Walsh] had given him a great ride. It looked like he was going to win the race, and it was very unfortunate for him and for connections.”

Asterion brings ‘A’ game

The result to the Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Hurdle would have made for sweet reading in the eyes of Paul Townend, who got his riding decision just right as Asterion Forlonge (11/8) gained an overdue success over long-absent stablemate Monkfish, who posted a highly encouraging effort on return from a 713-day layoff.

Joe and Marie Donnelly’s mercurial grey has been let down by his jumping at times over fences but gained confidence from a recent spin over hurdles at Thurles to record his first win since a ready handicap chase success at the 2021 Punchestown Festival.

Monkfish was entitled to need the run and came home well to keep the winner honest in the closing stages.

Townend said: “Asterion was very good, but it was a messy race. My lad improved from Thurles and I think he’ll improve again. Monkfish showed there’s still life in him - I could see his head coming beside me in the straight.”

Casey added: “They are both in the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown and hopefully they will both go there. Monkfish had plenty of build-up work done but he’ll improve again for the run. The idea is to keep him over hurdles for the end of the season and then maybe go back chasing next year.”

GORDON Elliott managed to halt the champion trainer’s Easter dominance with a win in the concluding Leinster Reinforcements & Brazil Piling Bumper through a thoroughly likeable performance from even-money favourite Firefox.

A €280,000 store purchase who had impressed when winning a Navan bumper by 10 lengths on his last start, the Bective Stud-owned five-year-old showed an admirable attitude to deny the Mullins-trained Ile Atlantique by three quarters of a length in a driving finish under Jamie Codd.

Firefox was cut to 16/1 (from 25/1) for next year’s Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Elliott, who won a trio of bumpers over Easter, said: “He’s a lovely horse and that’ll be it for him this season. We’ve had some nice young horses show up well this weekend, as well as the second [Gevrey] and third [Defi Bleu] in the Irish National, so they have been running nicely. It’s all about the future for these young horses.”

Mighty Mac for Hayes and Murphy

There was also some consolation for Brian Hayes after being narrowly touched off in the Irish Grand National on Gevrey when he landed the following Thebeautybasket.ie Handicap Chase aboard the Colm Murphy-trained Macs Charm.

This extended-three-mile event has proven a pointer to the Fairyhouse feature in recent years, with Lord Lariat beaten a neck in second in 2021 before winning the following season’s Irish Grand National, while 2022 winner Defi Bleu finished a close third in the main event this year.

Murphy suggested Macs Charm could be well suited to a test like next season’s Goffs Thyestes Chase, consdiering the eight-year-old’s preference for soft ground.

“It was a big ask for his first run in a handicap chase so we’re delighted with that,” said Murphy of the 7/1 winner for the Macs Charm Syndicate.

“We’ll keep him in until the Punchestown Festival and see what the weather does. He’s very ground dependent. He’s been a right horse, and this is only his fourth run over fences.”

Rose shows heart

Lord Lariat’s setback that ruled him out an Irish Grand National defence would have come as a major disappointment to last year’s winning jockey Paddy O’Hanlon, but the 5lb claimer didn’t leave Fairyhouse empty handed thanks to a gutsy front-running win from Ailie Rose in the Fairyhouse Steel Handicap Hurdle.

Owned by Elizabeth Hamilton and trained by Stuart Crawford, the 16/1 winner pulled out all the stops to score by five lengths despite her rider’s saddle slipping.

Crawford said: “She’s been a very gutsy little mare. She looked like she was going to win a decent handicap hurdle at Haydock earlier in the season, but she got a very bad fall that day, and it has taken her a wee while to get back.

“Today everything suited and conditions were right. We’ve a small team and we’re a big family, so this will mean a lot to everybody. She could go to Punchestown or head to Ayr on Scottish National weekend.”