A SEASON of seasons for Peter Fahey reached another new high as The Big Dog bagged his second major prize of the season in the Bar One Racing Troytown Handicap Chase to fuel thoughts of a Grand National assault in the spring.

On one of the great traditional days in the Irish National Hunt calendar The Big Dog (11/1) lined up in this €100,000 prize looking to follow up a win in October’s Munster National. An 8lb hike in the weights left The Big Dog conceding weight to all 17 of his rivals and this strapping nine-year-old proved more than equal to the task.

Keith Donoghue kept The Big Dog close to the pace and from before the straight the Damien and Colin Kelly-owned gelding looked the only one likely to reel in the valiant front-runner Lifetime Ambition.

Tremendous

The latter turned in a tremendous effort and was still in front at the last but on the run-in he could no longer withstand The Big Dog who forged on to prevail by three and a half lengths and spark jubilant scenes in the winner’s enclosure. Lifetime Ambition finished some 15 lengths clear of the third placed Death Duty while Coko Beach took fourth ahead of the favourite Frontal Assault.

“He’s been a very lucky horse for me and the lads and I’m thrilled for them to have a horse like this as they have been going racing all their lives,” said an elated Fahey.

“I was telling the lads going to Limerick that he would improve a good bit from it but when he won I was thinking ‘how am I going to improve him from this?’.

“He stepped up again today though and it was a good performance carrying a big weight. I think we will aim for Aintree.”

The Willie Mullins-trained Grangeclare West established himself as one of the most exciting novice hurdlers in the country with a superb effort in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle over two and a half miles.

The Cheveley Park Stud-owned six-year-old hadn’t run since making a winning debut in a Punchestown bumper in May 2021 but showed that he is more than ready to make up for lost time.

The 2/1 favourite really caught the imagination in the straight and attacked the last flight with some vigour before stretching right away to dish out a 13-length beating to the bumper winner Firm Footings.

“I was impressed. It looked a race with plenty of depth and I was saying to the owners beforehand we could easily run fourth or fifth here and have a very nice horse, so for him to do that was impressive,” remarked Mullins. “The Lawlor’s Hotel Novice Hurdle at Naas in early January would look an obvious race for him.”

Fine effort

Jetara (5/1) brought the curtain down on Troytown day with a fine effort in the Listed Coolmore N.H. Sires In Swoop Irish EBF Mares Flat Race.

The Gerard McGrath-owned and bred daughter of Walk In The Park, who hails from a superb family that has served Jessica Harrington so well over the last two decades, was given a positive ride by Tom Hamilton.

She tracked the front-running Mollys Mango from the outset and eventually took that one’s measure approaching the final furlong.

On her first start since winning at the Dublin Racing Festival Lily Du Berlais ran an excellent race to secure second.

“She’s very tough,” declared Mrs Harrington. “When she was second at Gowran last time I felt we didn’t make enough use of her so we were always going to ride her forward today.

“It’s a wonderful family and you can’t beat breeding! I’m not sure where she goes now but she is only four so I’m not sure about going hurdling just yet.”

THERE was an upset lying in wait in the Grade 3 John Lynch Carpets & Flooring Monksfield Novice Hurdle where Joseph O’Brien’s Dawn Rising (10/1) upstaged the long odds-on American Mike.

The latter was a 2/7 shot to build on his winning debut over hurdles but turned in a very laboured effort and was already all out to get the better of Affordale Fury when that one came down at the last. For his part the Mark Walsh-ridden Dawn Rising sat some way off the pace but he began to close in steadily on the leaders from the turn-in and he finished with a flourish from the last to dish out an eight-length beating to American Mike.

“It didn’t look like it was going to happen at the third last but he stayed at it well and possibly the front two went hard up front. The way he finished he might have won even if the other horse had stood up,” reflected Frank Berry. “He’s progressing away and did that nicely so I suppose we will look at something over Christmas for him.”

Smooth

Earlier Joseph O’Brien added to his array of promising juveniles as Comfort Zone made a smooth transition from the flat to land the Bar One Racing 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle. A very useful performer on the level, the J.P. McManus-owned gelding took his time in midfield under J.J. Slevin before being unleashed with a powerful effort in the straight. Comfort Zone (5/1-100/30) quickened well to take charge approaching the final flight en route to a resounding six-length success over Jazzy Matty.

“He did it nicely and jumped well and looks to have taken well to jumping. He enjoyed this sort of ground on the flat and you’d have to be happy with that. I’d say we will look towards Christmas now,” declared Frank Berry.

A FEATURE of the season to date has been the strength of Gordon Elliott’s novice chasers and he further added to his strength in that sphere with Fil Dor in the Boardsmill Stud Irish EBF Beginners Chase.

One of the best juvenile hurdlers of last season, the Caldwell Construction-owned Fil Dor took really well to this discipline in a race that made for a cracking spectacle. The former County Hurdle winner Saint Roi and Fil Dor were operating on an entirely different level to their rivals as they went toe-to-toe from before three out.

Fil Dor and Jack Kennedy began to assert nearing two out and the 10/11 favourite kept on doggedly to carry the day by four lengths while there was 24 lengths back to the remainder.

“Jack said it rode a proper race and the second is a very good horse so I’m delighted,” commented Elliott. “He jumped well and you couldn’t have asked for more. I’d say we will head on to Leopardstown on December 26th for the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase.”

After the earlier reversal of American Mike, Elliott bounced back with the relentless improver Jungle Prose (4/1) who made it four wins on the spin in the 80-130 rated Bar One Racing-sponsored handicap hurdle over two and three quarter miles.

As she looked to defy a 40lb rise in the weights the Bull On Syndicate-owned mare prevailed with plenty to spare. Once Jack Kennedy began to bustle her up early in the straight the daughter of Yeats came back on the bridle and she needed little more than a shake of the reins from the last to defeat Lord Erskine by a length and a half.

“It’s great for the lads who own her as she has turned into a great mare for them,” stated the trainer. “I thought it would be tough for her today given how far she has gone up in the weights but she just keeps improving.

“The Bective Stud Handicap Hurdle back here in December might be next while we might also look at a Pertemps Qualifier for her too.”