Lavelle hails Long Walk hero Paisley Park

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Emma Lavelle is used to being surprised by Paisley Park but believes his third Long Walk Hurdle success at Kempton on Boxing Day was up there with his best performances.

When the race was frozen off at Ascot two weeks ago, Lavelle was delighted the race was rescheduled but admitted Kempton would not be near the top of the list of tracks deemed suitable for her stable star, who turns 11 in a matter of days.

The popular veteran showed he is as good as ever, though, by running down Champ and Goshen between the final two flights before powering away to victory.

“He probably won as impressively there as he has anywhere for many years – but that is Paisley for you, you just never know and he makes it up as he goes along!” said Lavelle.

“To call him versatile is a understatement. He’s won right-handed and left-handed, on good ground and heavy ground, flat tracks and undulating tracks, quick tracks and staying tracks. When he’s on song, he is extraordinary.

“He’s about to turn 11 but you see when he hits the front, his ears go forward and hears the crowd – he just loves it. He loves the adulation he gets and accordingly I think he has a great rapport with the crowd, they love him.

“All the way through the race yesterday, bar the first two hurdles, he was in a lovely position and in a great rhythm, coming to three out I thought everything was going great, he was still on the bridle.

“Then he met three out wrong, the others quickened and all of a sudden he’s off the bridle and chasing them during his flat spot. At that moment I wondered if the track was just going to find him out, but on the way to two out and he started getting closer, I suddenly thought it was game on. When he can smell victory, then off he goes.”

Paisley Park begins to draw away from Goshen and Champ
Paisley Park begins to draw away from Goshen and Champ (right) (John Walton/PA)

Having finished a narrow second to Champ at Newbury first time out this season, Lavelle’s husband and assistant Barry Fenton believes their stalwart is in much better form this term than last.

“Barry said he just looks in better form with himself this year and I have to agree. Don’t get me wrong, last year he ran some terrific races and won another Cleeve Hurdle but this year he just seems to be buzzing,” said Lavelle.

“He’s so special and so important to us and while he’s enjoying it we’ll keep going. He hasn’t had much in his favour in two runs this year, yet he’s run brilliant races. I just think he spends a lot of time laughing at us and he never wants to be pigeonholed.

“How the race is run is so important. The last two Stayers’ Hurdles have been dictated from the front and turned into a sprint – that hasn’t played to our strengths – but this year he seems to be sharper and not giving them quite as much of a start.

“Having said that, if we go to the Cleeve next, knowing Paisley he might do the same as he did last year and give them all a head start! He certainly makes it interesting, too interesting in my opinion.”

Lavelle herself was absent from Kempton on Boxing Day and instead cheered him home from Wincanton.

“Barry is such a part of Paisley’s life. Andrew (Gemmell, owner) was in Australia, we had owners at Wincanton so I just thought ‘fair’s fair’, it meant a lot to him to be able to go and enjoy that,” she explained.

“Becca (James) who looks after him rang me after the race saying how emotional it was to hear everyone shouting for him and wanting their picture with him. It’s rare to have the opportunity to be involved in a horse like that for any of us and it’s very special.”

Dettori dazzles as Santa Anita spell begins with a treble

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Dubai World Cup hero Country Grammer starred in a Boxing Day treble for Frankie Dettori at Santa Anita.

Earlier this month the popular Italian announced 2023 would be his final year as a professional rider, with Santa Anita set to stage his swansong at next year’s Breeders’ Cup.

Dettori also confirmed he would head to California over the festive period and made an immediate impact as he enjoyed an opening day hat-trick.

The 52-year-old’s first success came aboard the Bob Baffert-trained Country Grammer, who he steered to Dubai World Cup glory at Meydan in March.

Dropping in class for the Grade Two San Antonio Stakes after finishing second in his two previous outings at Grade One level – including a runner-up finish to the brilliant Flightline in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar in September – the five-year-old comfortably got back on the winning trail.

After treating racegoers to his famous flying dismount celebration, Dettori told TVG: “The pressure was on. I’m here for 10 weeks and to ride possibly the best horse in California on the first day, I felt it a bit.

“Once I knew I had the race won at the furlong marker I was able to enjoy the crowd – they were all screaming.”

Of Country Grammer, he added: “He’s a good horse who never knows how to run a bad race. Bob was very confident and actually being drawn six was good for him as at least I could move whenever I wanted.

“He’s a tough horse and you’ve got to put it up to them. You wouldn’t do that with another horse – send him at the three-eighths (marker) – but he’s got the lungs to take it and it just takes the rest out of their comfort zone.

“He won like a good horse and will have his air miles ready to go to the Middle East and race for a lot of money. It was an amazing comeback run.”

Baffert said: “He’s the neatest, coolest horse and really brought us up when we were really down.

“I’m happy for Frankie Dettori. This is his last year and to have him on there and win a race like this – I can’t believe the crowd today, it’s crazy, it’s like a Breeders’ Cup day.”

Dettori went on to enjoy further success aboard Doug O’Neill’s La Deuxieme Etoile and Simon Callaghan’s Ballet Dancing, who carried the Coolmore colours to victory.

Nicholls hoping Truckers Lodge can give Freddie Gingell poignant Welsh National winner

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There would be no more popular winner of the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow on Tuesday than Truckers Lodge.

Third in the prestigious marathon chase 12 months ago, the Paul Nicholls-trained 10-year-old will be ridden by Freddie Gingell in a race that is run in memory of his late mother, Kim Gingell.

“This race has always been the plan, and the more rain before the race the better it will suit him,” Nicholls told Sky Sports Racing.

Truckers Lodge ran off a mark of 150 last year and is rated 141 on this occasion.

Freddie Gingell, pictured at Kempton Park
Freddie Gingell, pictured at Kempton Park (John Walton/PA)

Nicholls added: “Freddie is taking 7lb off that which will be handy, the race is named after his mother and what a story that would be if he could run well for him.”

Truckers Lodge is not the only horse that would be a poignant victor, as Kim Gingell’s brother Joe Tizzard saddles The Big Breakaway.

The Chepstow feature has twice gone to the Tizzard family from the last six runnings, courtesy of Native River in 2016 and Elegant Escape two years later.

Third to Monkfish in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2021, The Big Breakaway has not had that much racing since but ran a fine race on his reappearance to be second at Haydock in November.

Native River was a stable star for Colin Tizzard
Native River was a stable star for Colin Tizzard (Simon Cooper/PA)

Tizzard, who now holds the licence at Venn Farm after taking over from his father, Colin, said: “He seems in beautiful form at home and I’m really pleased with him. This has been the target for him and he seemed to build in confidence throughout the race at Haydock the other day and was unlucky not to win.

“The bit of rain we’ve had will mean it is lovely ground for him and I think the tempo of the race will suit him.

“We struggled with sore shins with him last year and this year he has got over that and he’s always been a horse we have held in high regard, so hopefully he will now pay us back for our patience.”

Welsh-trained contenders have taken the last three renewals and a leading chance for the home team this year is The Galloping Bear, who is trained by Ben Clarke.

He has the look of an ideal type for this race and enjoyed a recent spin over hurdles at Carlisle, which was a first outing for 281 days.

He will once again be ridden by Ben Jones, who said: “He went up to Carlisle for a little prep run just to clear the old cobwebs away. We were very happy with his run as he’s not a hurdler at all.

Ben Jones riding The Galloping Bear
Ben Jones riding The Galloping Bear (Steven Paston/PA)

“He’s a proper workmanlike ride, you have to ask for every little bit out of him. Even when he grinds it out and wins nicely in the end, he’s always got a little bit left under the bonnet.

“The more you ask the more he keeps giving and that’s why we don’t mind the weights going up. It’s not that we want to carry more weight, it’s that we want the other horses to carry more weight to make it a proper staying test.

“He’s carried top-weight around Lingfield on heavy ground, he just bounced out in front, galloped all the way and made it look easy.”

Ask Me Early is another having a second run after a lengthy break and there was plenty of encouragement to be taken from his third at Bangor.

“We were delighted with his comeback run at Bangor and obviously the form has worked out well, with the winner (Le Milos) doing particularly well at Newbury (winning the Coral Gold Cup),” said trainer Harry Fry.

Ask Me Early is a
Ask Me Early is a “relentless” galloper (Mike Egerton/PA)

“He’s come out of that in good form and come forward for it as we’d hope and expect.

“We’ve made no secret of the fact we’ve been targeting this race. We didn’t get to run in it last year, but we’re on course to go there this year.

“From the first day he came into the yard we wondered whether we had a racehorse or a hunter on our hands as he only has one gear! Thankfully that gear lasts a very long time – he just seems to be relentless.

“He’s got a good record at the track and the more rain the better for him. It’s a hugely competitive race, but we’re going there with high hopes that he can be competitive.”

Venetia Williams’ Quick Wave is also a major fancy, and is a proven stayer who won the three-mile-five-furlong London National at Sandown when last seen.

Peter Fahey’s The Big Dog carries a live chance for the Irish but must shoulder top-weight as he looks to continue the winning streak that has seen him land the Munster National and the Troytown Chase this season.

Nicholls sets sights on Gold Cup next with Bravemansgame

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Paul Nicholls believes he has another genuine Gold Cup contender on his hands following Bravemansgame’s crowning moment in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton.

Having been lukewarm on the idea of a Cheltenham challenge when his new stable star won the Charlie Hall Chase earlier in the season, the manner of his success when providing the champion trainer with a 13th win in the Christmas showpiece has forced a rethink.

He had to overcome more than three miles, eight rivals and 18 fences, too, as L’Homme Presse, backed into favouritism, repeatedly jumped out to his left, not really doing Bravemansgame any favours.

Harry Cobden was keen to give his mount space on the outside and it was not until they turned into the straight that he began to move up alongside L’Homme Presse, with two of last season’s leading novices fighting out the finish.

Bravemansgame began to assert running to the final fence and while both jumped it well, L’Homme Presse landed steep, unshipping Charlie Deutsch, allowing him the 11-4 winner come home 14 lengths clear of Royale Pagaille, a stablemate of L’Homme Presse.

“It was a hell of a race. They went a good gallop and old Frodon gave them a good lead. He stayed on strong then and showed his strengths. He is just a maturing horse and we have trained him for today,” said Nicholls.

“We will go straight to Cheltenham now and we won’t run him before the Gold Cup. Better ground helps him travel better than he did today, but he dug deep and stayed on. The other horse was a little unfortunate to lose his pilot, but he was beaten by then.

“We were very confident. Some of those bad runs in the spring you couldn’t judge him on as ours weren’t right. When he is right he is a very good horse. We knew it was him at his best today.”

Nicholls – whose Kempton roll of honour includes five memorable triumphs with dual Gold Cup hero Kauto Star – feels the stamina Bravemansgame showed close home will stand him in good stead come March, if the ground is suitable.

Bookmaker reaction regarding the Gold Cup was positive, with Betfair and Paddy Power making him 7-1 from 20-1 while Coral halved his price to 10-1.

“I loved the way he stayed on as all the way down the back he didn’t have a great passage as L’Homme Presse kept jumping across him and I would have liked to have seen it go a bit more fluent, but he came hard on the bridle and stayed on well,” Nicholls said.

“It is just fantastic. You set out to try and win these races and it is just brilliant, but you have got to have the right horse. He is a good horse but he has not been the easiest to train. We learned a few lessons about him last season but we have got him right now.

“He needs to be fresh. We have nothing to lose running him at Cheltenham, but he won’t run before. Nice ground will suit him well. It was great to see him stay on strong today.

“I was confident as I thought the track would suit him well.”

A meeting with L’Homme Presse is surely on the cards in the future and while Nicholls feels Cheltenham may suit that rival more, his horse was on top when he departed at the last.

Charlie Deutsch gets unseated from L'Homme Presse
Charlie Deutsch gets unseated from L’Homme Presse (John Walton/PA)

“L’Homme Presse was obviously going to be a danger and he is obviously going to be a very good horse and he won’t be far away in the Gold Cup where going left-handed will probably suit him better. But we got on top of him when he departed at the last and Bravemansgame galloped on to win so it is good form,” said Nicholls.

“I’m lucky enough to have the horses good enough to do it and the capability of a team that is good enough to get them right on the day.

“Horses like this find you rather than the other way. We have been lucky and we have some other lovely young horses at home. It is fantastic and I feel very lucky.

“You never dream of days like this and once you have a taste of it you never want it to go away. Last season he would never be able to do that (go three times up the hill on the gallops) now he cruises up it. Horses like that just reach that maturity. When he was five when he went to Cheltenham he was nowhere near the best physically but he is getting there.”

Gerri Colombe continues progression at Limerick

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Gerri Colombe maintained his unbeaten record with a clearcut victory in the Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick.

A winner in the point-to-point sphere a couple of years ago, the six-year-old had since landed two bumpers, two novice hurdles and a beginners chase for Gordon Elliott and was the 4-5 favourite stepping up to Grade One level for Limerick’s St Stephen’s Day feature.

Gerri Colombe was opposed by four rivals, three of which were trained by Willie Mullins, with 6-4 chance Kilcruit seemingly the first string ahead of Adamantly Chosen and Authorized Art.

Kilcruit briefly looked set to make a race of it with the strong-travelling Gerri Colombe early in the home straight, but his effort petered out and in the end it was left for Adamantly Chose to pick up the silver medal – beaten four and a quarter lengths by the decisive winner.

With stable jockey Jack Kennedy in action at Leopardstown and Davy Russell recently retired, Jordan Gainford came in for the plum ride aboard Gerri Colombe and was thrilled to secure his first Irish Grade One success, having been beaten a short head on Farouk D’alene in this race last year.

Gainford, who in October steered Shark Hanlon’s Hewick to glory in the American Grand National, said: “It’s unbelievable and first I want to thank Gordon and Robcour (owners). From the first day I walked into Gordon’s he’s looked after me and he had the confidence to put me up today.

“Last’s year’s defeat was something I didn’t want to happen again and a big thank you to Jack Kennedy too as he told me about him and how to ride him.

“His jumping was brilliant and for him to do what he did today was very good. Plans will be left to Gordon but the one thing he loves is soft ground and he had that today.”

Gordon Elliott trains Gerri Colombe
Gordon Elliott trains Gerri Colombe (David Davies/Jockey Club)

Elliott’s assistant, Ian ‘Busty’ Amond, said: “It’s great for Jordan and with the likes of Davy retiring it opens doors for these lads. They have to step up and did it and he did it, but he had the horse too.

“He loves that ground, Jordan said he was unbelievable to jump and did it well. He is laid back but keeps doing what he is doing and is six from six now.

“It is great for Robcour who put a lot of money into the game so it is important to get days like this.

“He is a right horse going forward, he has got his Grade One win now and would have no bother stepping up to three miles but well see what Gordon thinks.”

Betfair cut Gerri Colombe to 5-1 from 8-1 for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Speaking from Leopardstown, however, Elliott revealed he is considering a different target.

He said: “He just keeps winning. He doesn’t do anything fancy at home but we are lucky to have him.

“We’ll have a look and see where we go next. He might go for the National Hunt Chase if the ground was soft. He wouldn’t want it very quick.

“He was a big baby last year and is a nice horse now.”

Bravemansgame makes it another King George to remember for Paul Nicholls

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Paul Nicholls was proved spot-on in his assertion that Bravemansgame is a tailor-made for the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase as he provided him with a record 13th victory in the Boxing Day showpiece.

The seven-year-old was a brilliant winner of the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase on this day 12 months ago, since when a return to Kempton for the big one has been top of his agenda.

Bravemansgame had been at the top of ante-post lists for the King George for some time – but despite his comeback victory in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, he was not favourite come the off, with that honour going to Venetia Williams’ L’Homme Presse (9-4), who was out to supplement a fine weight-carrying victory in Newcastle’s Rehearsal Chase last month.

Bravemansgame’s stablemate Frodon, the King George hero of 2020, gave his usual bold sight in front for much of the three-mile journey, but began to give way turning for home and at the top of the home straight it became clear it was going to develop into a straight shootout between the big two.

L’Homme Presse held a narrow advantage approaching the third fence from the finish, but Bravemansgame (11-4) and Harry Cobden mastered him between the last two two and was in command when L’Homme Presse unseated Charlie Deutsch at the final obstacle.

In the end it was L’Homme Presse’s stablemate Royale Pagaille who finished best of the rest, some 14 lengths adrift of the brilliant winner. Frodon was third, another four and quarter lengths back.

Cobden said: “It means a lot. The last one I won was in 2018 (Clan Des Obeaux) and I definitely didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have done. It sounds a bit silly, but now I’m 23 I appreciate these big days as they don’t come around that often.

“He was a bit behind the bridle and L’Homme Presse kept jumping across us which wasn’t ideal and we were getting carried out. I didn’t want to get him amongst it. Although we went the furthest route and we were getting a bit of hassle off the other one sometimes it is best to keep it simple.

“I knew he was going to be the one to beat turning in so I thought we would get a lead off him as long as possible. I then tried to pin him down the inside a bit so he couldn’t take us right across the track.

“He is a fantastic horse and it is a great day. I was just hoping we would get over the last. He got over it and stayed on very well. Yeah (will get the Gold Cup trip), it looks like he wants it.”

Paul Nicholls (left), Harry Cobden (centre left) and owner Bryan Drew (second right)
Paul Nicholls (left), Harry Cobden (centre left) and owner Bryan Drew (second right) (John Walton/PA)

Nicholls confirmed Bravemansgame would now head straight to the Gold Cup.

He said: “It was a hell of a race. They went a good gallop and old Frodon gave them a good lead. He stayed on strong then and showed his strengths. He is just a maturing horse and we have trained him for today.

“We will go straight to Cheltenham now and we won’t run him before the Gold Cup. On better ground he travels better than he did today, but he dug deep and stayed on. The other horse was a little unfortunate to lose his pilot, but he was beaten by then.

“I’m thrilled. Who knows (what would have happened if L’Homme Presse had not come to grief at the last), but he wasn’t stopping. He just jumped to the front and he would have been hard to go by. You can never be certain, but it looked that way to me watching. I’m lucky enough to have the horses good enough to do it and the capability of a team that is good enough to get them right on the day.”

Charlie Deutsch is unseated from L'Homme Press at the final fence
Charlie Deutsch is unseated from L’Homme Press at the final fence (John Walton/PA)

Williams said of Royale Pagaille and L’Homme Presse: “It’s a shame as it looked as though they were going to be second and third, but they’ve both run very well – I’m proud of both of them today. Paul’s horse has won today but there’ll be more races in which they meet and hopefully we’ll come out on top when they do.”

Bryony Frost said of Frodon: “He never lets me down and if we’re going to go down, we go down fighting. He’s unbelievable, his stamina is much better after his wind op which really helped him.

“The way he’s jumped there is fantastic and he’s really served it up to them and he loses nothing in defeat. He’s absolutely phenomenal, we were able to get out in front and do what we do best and the younger legs have just gone by him. But he’s awesome and I can’t fault him.”

Saint Roi swoops for Grade One victory at Leopardstown

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Saint Roi came from last to first to open his account over fences in the Brand New Racing Post App Novice Chase at Leopardstown.

Fourth in the Irish Champion Hurdle, the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Punchestown Champion Hurdle last season, the JP McManus-owned seven-year-old had found the reopposing Fil Dor four lengths too strong on his chasing debut at Navan last month.

The pair again dominated the betting, with Fil Dor the 8-11 favourite to confirm his superiority and Saint Roi a 3-1 shot for Willie Mullins and Mark Walsh.

Visionarian gave a bold sight in front for much of the Grade One contest, with a couple of jumping mistakes late in the back straight putting Fil Dor on the back foot.

Walsh, meanwhile, bided his time aboard Saint Roi before producing him to challenge for the lead approaching the final fence.

Visionarian, the 25-1 rank outsider, did his best to make a race of it, but Saint Roi’s class kicked in on the level and he proved two and a quarter lengths too strong in the end.

Paddy Power cut the winner to 14-1 from 25-1 for the Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham in March.

Mark Walsh with Saint Roi at Leopardstown
Mark Walsh with Saint Roi at Leopardstown (Brian Lawless/PA)

Mullins, saddling his third winner on the card, said: “I thought he ran very well against a horse that had already had a run in Navan. If he’d won we’d be coming here anyway so rather than running in another beginners chase, I thought let him have a crack at a good prize.

“He jumps well enough and he’d schooled very well in the meantime. We decided to change the tactics. JP (McManus) was wondering would he be better waited with and Mark agreed. He’s a nice prospect for the rest of the season.

“He’s not the biggest horse in the world but he jumps very efficiently. He’s also a lot more sensible over a fence than a hurdle.

“He had a hurdle rating good enough to run in championship races but was probably not a champion hurdler himself.”

Christmas Hurdle proves cruise control for Constitution Hill

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Constitution Hill once again made winning a top-level race look easy as he breezed to a 17-length success in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.

National Hunt racing’s new star had beaten stablemate Epatante – herself a previous dual Christmas Hurdle winner – by 12 lengths at Newcastle in the Fighting Fifth and the two met again, much to Nicky Henderson’s chagrin.

Briefly the mare looked to be in with a chance on this occasion, as Nico de Boinville just had to slightly niggle on the 1-7 favourite to go forward as they turned into the straight.

But just as at Newcastle, once Constitution Hill was asked a question he responded in kind, and gradually drew further and further clear.

A spring-heeled leap at the last sealed matters and he remains Paddy Power and Betfair’s 4-11 favourite for the Champion Hurdle in March, with Coral unchanged at 2-7.

Henderson said “That was only his fifth race and again it was everything you’d hoped for.

“You just have to pray it all goes right, it’s not that easy, it’s not just a matter of going out there and coming back, you’ve got to jump hurdles and be in good shape – which he is – but so was Epatante, I haven’t seen her look better.

“Aidan (Coleman) said she’s probably run better than when she won this on the bridle last year, but he said he was only chasing shadows so it shows you what he is achieving – it’s frightening really.”

Regarding the future he said: “They’ve taken away my favourite race, the Contenders at Sandown, which was only worth two and six but was the perfect Champion Hurdle trial. I can’t think we really want to go to Haydock, Nico said Ireland (Irish Champion Hurdle) but let’s just have a look and see. It’s either that or nothing I would say.

“The one good thing this year is that we have four weeks between Cheltenham and Aintree so we could step him up to two and a half at Aintree.

“I know everybody wants to see him, but where can you go? I don’t think Wincanton is the right place for him and Haydock certainly isn’t in my opinion – but he doesn’t need to and there’s no point doing something you don’t need to do.

“He can go there (Cheltenham) fresh no problem, but we’ll get today over with and it’s the one we needed in the bag. Nico said turning in that he was actually dossing and then he pressed the button and off he went. He was having a nice time – he’s quick and fast and accurate and at the moment there’s no chinks in that armour because he’s got such a great mind.

“He was on his toes today actually which was more than I’ve seen before, but he’s so relaxed at home and Shauna who rides him every day has done a brilliant job with him. The horse is just cool and that’s the only word you can call him – he’s cool and talented!

“You’d have to think about Ireland, but it’s nothing to do with ducking and diving – which is becoming a stupid phrase which I wish they’d ban! My gut feeling was always that we’d go straight there, I don’t think we’d achieve anything by going to Haydock. If the Contenders was still here I’d go there, but Cheltenham and Aintree is what it’s all about now. It’s a very truncated season with four runs, but that’s what its come down to unless we travel and Punchestown is too close to Aintree to go there.”

Nico de Boinville celebrates on Constitution Hill
Nico de Boinville celebrates on Constitution Hill (John Walton/PA)

“Sensational” was how De Boinville described the winner.

“Horses like him don’t come around very often – he is just sensational,” he said. “He can do it any way and I don’t think you can beat him how he is at moment.”

Coleman said of Epatante: “She is running her races. She ran great, travelled and jumped but just couldn’t go with the winner. That is four or five goes in a row he has done that so credit where credit is due. His performances are freakish but my mare ran really well.

“I suppose the Mares’ Hurdle has always been talked about. She is a fantastic mare in her own right and has run another great race. Her last 13 races have all been in Grade Ones and she has been a fantastic mare. What she does now I’m not sure, but hopefully we are not done yet.

“I think her performances are similar to last season and she won three Grade Ones last season. I don’t think she has always got the credit she deserves. She has been around a long time and won a lot of Grade Ones. She has been a very good mare, unfortunately she has now just got him to contend with.”

Lossiemouth advertises Triumph Hurdle claims at Leopardstown

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Lossiemouth cemented her place at the head of ante-post lists for the Triumph Hurdle with a commanding display at Leopardstown.

The French recruit was the apparent second string for Willie Mullins on her Irish debut at Fairyhouse earlier in the month, but comfortably accounted for stablemate Zarak The Brave at Grade Three level.

She was the 4-5 favourite to follow up in the Grade Two Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle and having travelled well throughout under Paul Townend, she had the race sewn up turning for home.

Gala Marceau, making her first start for Mullins after two wins in France, gave chase in the straight, but Lossiemouth was ultimately far too strong and had seven and a half lengths in hand at the line.

Paul Townend with Lossiemouth at Leopardstown
Paul Townend with Lossiemouth at Leopardstown (Brian Lawless/PA)

Betfair cut the winner to 6-4 from 11-4 for the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, with Coral offering slightly bigger odds at 7-4.

Mullins said: “She did that nicely and jumped well. She was hard on herself and was still able to win well enough.

“I’m very pleased with her and with Gala Marceau who ran on to be second. Lossiemouth looks like she could be the real deal and deserves her favouritism for the Triumph.

“I haven’t asked her to do too much since (Fairyhouse) and we said we’d come here and see how things go.

“The Dublin Racing Festival would seem the obvious target now.”

Townend added: “She’s definitely going the right way – she backed up her run the last day.

“It was not a straightforward race today and it looked that way going out – in a truly-run race you’d see the true mare I think.

“She had to get down and dirty and grind it out and she had no bother doing that.”

Thyme Hill gains revenge on McFabulous for impressive Kauto Star success

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Thyme Hill reversed Newbury form with McFabulous in no uncertain terms when winning the Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton.

Paul Nicholls’ McFabulous had Thyme Hill well behind when they met in a Grade Two last time out at Newbury, with the pair among a five-runner field upped to Grade One company.

Not surprisingly McFabulous was sent off favourite and Harry Cobden attempted to dictate matters from the front, a task made easier when Dan Skelton’s Galia Des Liteaux made a couple of early blunders meaning she ended up settling in behind.

Unfortunately her early errors took a toll and she was pulled up on the second circuit, while Gelino Bello was faller.

All the time Tom O’Brien was creeping closer on Philip Hobbs’ Thyme Hill and there was never going to be any question about his stamina given how well he stayed over hurdles.

As McFabulous tired it was Thyme Hill (11-2) who soared over the last, with the first-time cheekpieces clearly working as he came home 15 lengths clear.

O’Brien said: “It was disappointing at Newbury, but the ground there was the faster side of good and I was ballooning fences and you can’t give any ground away doing that. We put the cheekpieces on and the ground brought stamina into it today plus he he wasn’t ballooning them as much as the last day.

Tom O’Brien celebrates on Thyme Hill
Tom O’Brien celebrates on Thyme Hill (John Walton/PA)

“I was disappointed after Newbury, but when I schooled him with cheekpieces on I thought ‘this is what I want to feel’. He is a dual Grade One winner over hurdles and he is now a Grade One-winning chaser and nearly a Grade One bumper winner. He has been a very good horse and I’m delighted I’ve got to ride him.”

Sarah Hobbs, wife of the winning trainer, said: “I’m absolutely delighted. He jumped so well and I think the cheekpieces helped but he has been working a lot better this week and he has suddenly come into himself. He does need a fast pace. If they go too slow he can’t quicken, but if it is fast to start with he can.

“He can’t run very often and needs to be fresh. He is not very big but he does try and the cheekpieces just make him concentrate. He is a lovely little horse, but he has his own mind. I was confident because Philip was confident. He had said at home that his work was so much better. The girl that rides him every day said that he was a different horse.

“He would have to have at least a month off. There are not too many races he can run in before Cheltenham. It would be better if he went to Cheltenham then Aintree as he has won at Aintree before. He is a good horse.”

Nicholls said of his runners: “McFabulous just doesn’t quite get three miles on that ground. I think they all had a problem with the sun there down the back from what they were all saying, Harry (Cobden) said he wasn’t really confident jumping and then he’s just run out of petrol.

“The other horse outstayed him on that ground and it’s just one of those things, we know he needs good ground so we’ll leave him until the spring and run him on nice ground. We’ll freshen him up now and wait for the good ground in the spring.

“Gelino Bello was travelling really well, they’re both OK and Bryony (Frost) came in and said similar. We won’t be blaming anything but it’s one of those things, they’re both good and he’s a nice horse and he’ll come good.”