BRYAN Cooper registered a big win for former employers Gigginstown House Stud on Tuesday, winning Limerick’s featured Grade 2 Lyons Of Limerick Jaguar Novice Hurdle on Eric Bloodaxe, for trainer Joseph O’Brien.

Cooper was previously retained rider for Michael O’Leary’s operation, winning the 2016 Gold Cup on Don Cossack, and having filled in on recent winners, here he produced Eric Bloodaxe with a well-timed challenge when beating Freedom To Dream by seven and a half lengths.

Following the race Cooper reported: “It was a big question mark stepping up in trip even though he was 5/4, but it was a pleasing performance for any horse to win seven lengths on that ground. He has a good future and will only improve.

“It was like all these big-field graded races when three quarters shouldn’t be in the race and were in the way and they got racing plenty early coming down the hill. I was happy enough to let them at it as I knew I had a gear.

“Joseph (O’Brien, winning trainer) said the ground wouldn’t be in his favour so I was trying to save as much as I could.”

Eric Bloodaxe was a one-time conqueror of the top class Ferny Hollow and Cooper added: “I remember him winning a bumper and said I wouldn’t mind having a go on him down the road so it is great to pick this up and I’m delighted.”

Easy win

Glens Of Antrim (4/11 favourite) was a more orthodox winner of the opening David Fitzgerald (Mares) Maiden Hurdle, landing her heat easily for champion trainer Willie Mullins, jockey Jody McGarvey and owner J.P. McManus.

Following the race, McGarvey said: “She was the best horse in a bad race and she made the most of it. It is hard going out there, it is horrible and there aren’t too many horses that like it.”

ANOTHER odds-on winner on the card was the Declan Queally-trained, Chris O’Donovan-partnered 10/11 favourite Lord Schnitzel, for owner Klaus Koentopp, in the Earl Of Harrington Memorial Maiden Hunters Chase.

The eight-year-old made all for an easy 11 lengths won over Is A Real Champ and Queally’s son and namesake reported: “He enjoys hunter chasing and going back in grade a little. When the horse came to me, Matthew (Smith, previous trainer) rang me and felt he needed a change of scenery and he went through everything with me.

“He showed some brilliant form for Matthew and is just above his grade here and it is working out nicely.

“I’d probably say he’ll go to the Aintree Foxhunters rather than Cheltenham - I’d like to see him over the National fences as he is a big and bold and it would suit him.”

The other chase on the card was the Cargill Neomilk Rated Novice Chase which went to the Barry Connell-owned and trained King Alex, under Donie McInerney, who avoided a loose horse to eventually beat The Priests Leap by three-parts of a length.

Connell commented: “He is a smart horse and won three on the bounce over hurdles last year.

“He’s not totally in love with bottomless ground and the loose horse was giving him terrible trouble coming to the last but he was brilliant and ground it out.

“Our horses are taking a run this year and the run in Naas put him spot on. I’ll see what the handicapper gives him after that and there’s a novice handicap chase at Naas in March which could be a target. He is a smashing horse - you wouldn’t paint him.”

Local winner

Local trainer Eric McNamara and his jockey son Conor McNamara combined to win the Roches Feeds Handicap Hurdle with 11/1 chance Chairdown Boy, in the colours of Sean Curran.

Recording his second win, the gelding made most when eventually beating The Truant by half a length and afterwards McNamara senior said: “I could be guilty as it has taken me three years to figure out how to ride this horse - he is very keen and we’ve always held him up but I said to Conor today that we have to try something different.

“We made a conscious decision to drop him back in trip but to jump him out in front and to try and get the keeness out of him.

“I’ve been guilty of giving the wrong instructions for three years but it worked well today! Sean Curran is a fabulous, loyal owner and we’ve been so successful over the years and I’m thrilled for him.”

The 7lb claimer Shane Fenelon landed the Goggin Buckley Handicap Hurdle on the Shark Hanlon-trained Teescomponentsyess (14/1, for owner Mr Hanly), having made much of the running in a two-and-a-quarter-length win over Castlegrange.

Afterwards Fenelon, who is based with Hanlon, said: “We ran him over fences (at Cork) and thought he’d do well but he pulled up and was never really going.

“He loves that trip and ground and won his maiden hurdle here and was second in a good bumper here in the past.”

RACING concluded with the 125/1 shock win of An Forghas, who stole lengths at the start and maintained his lead throughout, in the Download BoyleSports App Bumper, to provide trainer/owner/jockey James Conheady with a first success.

Well beaten on debut, An Forghas was strongly pressed on the downhill run into the home straight and while he matched at 999/1 on Betfair in-running, he found plenty on the run-in and stayed on stoutly to beat Musta Lovea Lovea by three and three-parts of a length.

Forty-year-old Conheady later revealed: “I thought he was going to be free so I said the best place to be was in front. He works at home on his own so it is no bother to him.

“We’ve had point-to-point winners but that’s my first track winner and I have the restricted license myself.

“My father Mick Conheady was a jockey in the past, I’m a farmer and always keep one or two horses and the winners in the point-to-points keep us into it. This is my biggest success!

“The horse is named after Newmarket-On-Fergus where we live and he is a fine big horse who we bred ourselves.”