KEMBOY bridged a gap of over two years without a win to record his 10th career victory in the tote Fantasy Bobbyjo Chase and complete a Grade 3 double on the afternoon for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend.

The 11-year-old adopted his customary front-running role but needed to be tough at the business end as a number of his rivals kept on tenaciously.

The 15/8 favourite held on by a diminishing half-length from Vanillier with Now Where Or When just a length away in third. The winner’s stablemate Carefully Selected faded in the closing stages to finish fourth.

Kemboy, whose syndicate members include Brett Graham and Ken Sharp, last visited the winners’ enclosure when landing his fourth Grade 1 win in the 2021 Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown and has now amassed career earnings just short of €1 million.

Drop in grade

“That was good, I thought a drop in grade at this stage of his career was probably no harm,” said Mullins.

“The dry conditions (officially yielding) were a huge help to him and I’ll try and pick out another race like that, maybe the Imperial Call Chase at Cork (April 9th).

“The Aintree Bowl is a possibility but you’re running up against Grade 1 horses there and we might be as well off keeping below the radar. That’s his first win for two years and I’d prefer to keep him in a lower grade at his age and be competitive.

“We could try and finish up at Punchestown where he had a great day with Ruby Walsh, if he could roll back the years maybe he could do it again.”

Starting off

Zenta is just starting out on her career and the daughter of Pastorius, bought for J.P. McManus after winning a Listed hurdle at Auteuil last September, made a winning Irish debut in the Norman Colfer Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle - but not before giving odds-on punters a few anxious moments in the straight.

The 4/9 favourite joined front-running Hypotenus when blundering two out and wasn’t much better at the last before driven out by Townend to score by three lengths, with the pair over 30 lengths clear of the remainder.

Mullins said: “She jumped super and then things just fell apart but I think she will improve. She’s essentially a good jumper and it was just maybe being in front.

“I’d imagine she’ll head for the Triumph Hurdle and if she just keeps her jumping together she’s going to win lots of prizes.

“We sort of had to rush her preparation to get her ready for this but we felt she needed it if she was going to go across the water. She passed the test, she didn’t pass it with flying colours but she passed it.”

Bookmakers generally left her unchanged at 20/1 for the Triumph Hurdle.

Two more for Elliott

GORDON Elliott also saddled a double when taking the final two races on the card with Ballykeel and Down Memory Lane. The latter made it a double on the day for owner J.P. McManus with a very pleasing start under rules in the Ian Smith Memorial (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race.

Derek O’Connor always looked confident on the 5/6 favourite, a point-to-point winner for Jonathan Fogarty at Umma House last autumn, and he just pushed out the five-year-old inside the final furlong to beat Mister Pink by four-and-a-half lengths.

“He’s a nice horse and I’d imagine we’ll leave him alone until next year. I haven’t had him that long and we’ll put him away now,” said Elliott.

Ballykeel (100/30) has connections dreaming of bigger targets after taking the three-mile-and-one-furlong Quinlan Financial Supporting CCR Raceday Rated Novice Chase.

The Presenting gelding made smooth headway to lead early in the straight under Corey McGivern but needed to be driven out on the run-in to score by two and three quarter lengths from Clonmeen.

“He likes that ground, jumped and travelled. If he got into the Kim Muir we’d take our chance. He’s a straight-forward horse and would suit that type of race.

“He’ll be entered in the Irish National as well and we’ll see what happens,” said Elliott of the Brendan Scully-owned gelding.

BARRY Connell and Michael O’Sullivan have developed a highly successful partnership this season and teamed up for another significant victory as L’yser took the Tommy Carberry Handicap Hurdle.

The 3/1 favourite drew clear along with Cadatharla from before the last with L’yser holding on well by a neck.

Connell said: “It was a competitive race. After Leopardstown there wasn’t another two-mile-four-furlong race worth a few quid so I think everybody was in the same boat waiting for this. It was a little mini-Galway Hurdle!

“He’s a horse who handles a bit of nice ground, for a big horse, so I’d say we’ll keep him going. We’ll probably take in another handicap hurdle before the end of the season and then look at novice chasing in the new season. He’s very scopey.”

Volantis benefitted from a confident ride by Keith Donoghue to take the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle.

The 100/30 shot travelled well throughout and led approaching the last to beat Fine Margin by three and three quarter lengths.

Going to win

“The last day Keith rode him here he thought he was going to win turning in but he doesn’t do a whole lot when he gets to the front, like he did again today. Today he said he was going to ride him like Harchibald!” said trainer Ross O’Sullivan.

“He’s a great leaper and will be a good fun horse on nice ground in the summer. We won’t be rushing him and obviously with the boys (Monroe family) connection he’ll definitely be going to Galway.”

The Anna Gannon 90th Birthday Handicap Hurdle looked highly competitive beforehand and the 24-runner two-mile-and-four-furong event provided a thrilling finish with Happy Dreams just coming out on top for owner/trainer Michael McDonagh.

The 12/1 shot fought out a tremendous battle with Wee Charlie on the run-in, just prevailing by a short-head under Sean O’Keeffe.