THE Cheltenham Trials Day card at Naas often proves informative ahead of next month’s big Festival meeting and it once again highlighted a number of contenders including Dinoblue who landed the featured BBA Ireland Limited Opera Hat Mares Chase.

Just three went to post for this two-mile listed event with stablemate Allegorie De Vassy sent off a marginal favourite at 5/6 and adopting her usual front-running role. Dinoblue challenged in the straight and the pair, separated by the width of the track, fought out a protracted battle from the second last with the J.P. McManus-owned 11/10 chance just coming out on top by a neck in the hands of Mark Walsh.