TRAINER Henry de Bromhead added to his Cheltenham double on Thursday with a winner at Limerick’s fixture, as Coming Up Easy (15/2) landed the Ryans Cleaning Novice Handicap Chase, under jockey Mike O’Connor.

The Anthony Head-owned Coming Up Easy returned to form in making all the running on his handicap debut, scoring readily by 11 lengths from Carlas Big Jim.

De Bromhead’s Cheltenham double was headlined by Bob Olinger’s Stayers’ Hurdle success and at Limerick, that horse’s regular rider and the trainer’s assistant Davy Roche reported: “That is much improved from Coming Up Easy and possibly the better ground improved him. Mikey was really good on him, was positive and he jumped brilliantly.

“We’ll see where we are from here but we’re just happy that he has come back. You could step him back up (in distance) now and two and a half miles wouldn’t be out of the question. Today was important to get things right.”

Stewards’ enquiry

The de Bromhead-trained Fruit De Mer later passed the post in the front in the concluding Irish Stallion Farms EBF Bumper, but the 11/8 favourite was subsequently demoted to second-place, behind promoted winner L’Evangeliste (4/1).

Both horses were set for battle with two furlongs to race and, while Fruit De Mer had passed the winning line a half-length ahead, he had drifted markedly left carrying L’Evangeliste to the stands’ side.

Following an enquiry, the stewards reversed the placings, and handed victory to L’Evangeliste, trainer Eric McNamara, jockey Eoin O’Brien and the Preachers Syndicate.

Jockey O’Brien later reported: “Without doubt I felt being hampered cost me the race as I joined Ray (Barron, on Fruit De Mer) in the middle of the track and towards the finish, we were both out on the chase track.

“It was very bad, I received contact twice and both times were very strong. He is a lovely horse and I know the horse a little as I had seen him schooling in the past for Donie and James Murphy (previous handlers).

“I followed him up until his point-to-point and his race here during Christmas has worked out nicely. I was delighted to get the ride, he is a nice horse going forward and will probably be better when he goes jumping, and over further.”

RACING began with two Gordon Elliott-trained, Jordan Gainford-partnered winners, beginning with Kurasso Blue (9/2) in the AOS Hurdle. Both Kurasso Blue and Its Bilbo were upsides jumping the final flight but Gainford’s mount found more on the run-in, to score by a head.

Gainford stated: “He rallied well on the run-in but is still a big baby who has a lot of strengthening up to do. The main thing was that we went a gallop, as he isn’t quick but stays and has a good attitude. He flicks his toe but there is a little ease in the ground today and that suited.”

New connections

Half an hour later, Elliott and Gainford landed the featured Grade 3 Irish EBF Shannon Spray (Mares) Novice Hurdle, with capable performer Familiar Dreams (11/1), for new owner Noreen Galvin.

Gainford produced Familiar Dreams from mid-field to lead at the second last, beating Grainne A Chroi by two and a quarter lengths. Gainford reported: “She is obviously a high-class filly but her jumping was the main thing today. She could have done with a lead for longer but stepped forward lovely from her previous run, although wasn’t doing a whole pile in front.”

Ayr-bound

Trainer Liz Doyle is hoping to run Flash De Touzaine in the Scottish National next month, following an overdue third career win in the Ryans Cleaning Veterans Handicap Chase.

Jockey Donagh Meyler steered the 10-year-old to success, with Doyle reporting: “He needs good ground as he has breathing issues. I tweaked a few things with his wind, he had nice ground today and he’ll now head back to Ayr for the Scottish National.

“He was third in 2023 and was in the race last year but it was soft, so didn’t run. When you look at horses running on TV they run well, they run badly, but they never run badly for no reason and breathing is his problem. He loves heavy ground but can’t breathe on it, so good ground helps him a lot.”

MACIVER (5/1) completed a remarkable four-timer in the McDermotts Gala Patrickswell Handicap Chase, scoring for trainer Arthur O’Grady, his regular jockey Cian Quirke and owner/breeder Ivor Dulohery.

Successful in three handicaps already this year, Maciver today benefitted from another nicely timed ride from Quirke, who improved him to lead on the run-in, beating Made In The Woods by a neck.

Delighted O’Grady reported: “We are delighted and it is great to have a horse like this, who keeps us going. It was another peach of a ride and Cian said he was happy throughout and made great lengths at the jumps. The horse had gone up a lot in the handicap but was in great form coming here.”

Big price

Biggest priced winner on the afternoon was the Mick Winters-trained 20/1 chance Aleish Lass in the Lynch Quarries Handicap Hurdle, who in the end benefited from the final-flight-fall of the strong-travelling Lummi Island.

Aleish Lass was indeed then hampered by Lummi Island’s fall but chased down leader A Mere Bagatelle on the run-in, for a head win.

Afterwards Winters reported: “A couple of my horses got sick and while she was doing good work at Christmas and didn’t have what the others had, she had an infection after she had swelling in a back leg.

“She is well-bred. We have her whole family at home and she was bred by by wife. She has a Diamond Boy half-brother called Handmedownastar who is the marker for her, as he is a good bit better than her. She is an out-and-out stayer and will make a chaser. Luke (Burke-Ott, winning jockey) works seven days a week for us so it was good to give him a chance today.

“Noel (O’Connor, owner) is from Kanturk, is a brother of my wife and lives in Boston so this is great.

Making all

The Declan Queally-trained Custom Taylor (4/9 favourite) effortlessly landed the John Buckley Engineering Ltd. Maiden Hurdle, making all the running under Kevin Sexton for owner Dr Brid Corkery.

Afterwards Sexton said: “I had a sit on him last week and was confident he’d do the job today. He was very straightforward. Declan told me to drop my hands and go a nice gallop, as all he does is stay.”