FAIRYHOUSE (18 Apr 2006)

Good To Yielding

2:45 Bet @ Blue Square Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase (Grade A) (4yo+)

[off 2:45] £31,427.59, £9,220.69, £4,393.10, £1,496.55 2m1f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Livingstonebramble W P Mullins 10 10-6 R Walsh 9/1 128 — —

2 4½ Strike Back Mrs John Harrington 8 10-2 b1 A D Leigh(7) 10/1 131 — —

3 4½ Ground Ball C F Swan 9 11-5 A P McCoy 5/1 141 — —

4 9 Steel Band (GB) Paul A Roche 8 10-8 G T Hutchinson 14/1 130 — —

5 6 Old Flame Paul Nolan 7 11-4 J L Cullen 5/1 140 — —

6 dist Master Ofthe Chase C F Swan 8 10-5 D J Casey 14/1 127 — —

PU Zum See Noel Meade 7 10-3 b D F O´Regan 7/1 125 — —

BD Commonchero M J P O´Brien 9 10-3 A E Lynch(5) 9/1 130 — —

LFT Always (GB) Noel Meade 7 11-2 b B J Geraghty 10/1 138 — —

F Mansony (FR) A L T Moore 7 11-1 D N Russell 9/2F 137 — —

10 ran TIME 4m 16.70s (slow by 4.70s) TOTAL SP 115%

1st OWNER: Favourites Racing Syndicate BRED: Mrs Noelle Walsh TRAINER: W P Mullins

2nd OWNER: Commonstown Racing Syndicate

3rd OWNER: John P McManus

TOTE WIN £9.70 PL £2.40, £3.30, £2.40; Ex £120.20; CSF £92.62; TRICAST £502.24

ANALYSIS: A dramatic conclusion to this valuable prize, with Mansony coming down at the third-last when still in the lead and his jockey then bringing down Commonchero, who was travelling well at the time.

LIVINGSTONEBRAMBLE, who had a wind operation after last season, was able to take advantage of these mishaps to win his first race for almost a year.

He had started to make some progress after the fourth-last but it is open to question whether he would have beaten the two who came down.

The ten-year-old is at his best at this time of year and will now head to Punchestown next week.

Mansony was never able to get involved at Aintree after a slow start but was in the process of running a good race. He had jumped well after racing in second for much of the race and still looked to be going quite well when he departed. A decent novice chaser, he would be of interest if turning out at Punchestown.

Commonchero was in the process of running his best race over fences for some time. He was travelling ominously well in second when he was brought down and looked the likeliest winner. On this evidence, he looks capable of landing a decent prize in the near future.

Strike Back is well suited by good ground and acquitted himself well to finish second - his best run since taking third behind Fota Island over this course and distance in January. He had been under pressure for some time before the turn in but kept going and may appreciate a longer trip.

Ground Ball ran a solid race under top weight in his bid for a repeat success in this race. He came here following creditable efforts at Cheltenham and Aintree but is capable of better.

Steel Band was being ridden along before the turn in and was never able to strike a blow. His rating of 130 makes life difficult for him over fences.

PUNCHESTOWN (05 Feb 2006)

Yielding

2:40 Byrne Group plc Tied Cottage Chase (Grade 2) (5yo+)

[off 2:40] £23,795.17, £6,981.38, £3,326.21, £1,133.10 2m

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Central House (GB) D T Hughes 9 11-12 t R Loughran 11/4 159 143 163

2 6 Jim (FR) J T R Dreaper 9 11-10 R M Power 9/2 150 133 155+

3 2 Accordion Etoile Paul Nolan 7 11-10 J L Cullen 5/2 130 153

4 hd Watson Lake Noel Meade 8 11-12 P Carberry 9/4F 150 132 155

5 dist Strike Back Mrs John Harrington 8 11-4 B J Geraghty 16/1 131 — —

5 ran TIME 4m 13.90s (slow by 13.90s) TOTAL SP 110%

1st OWNER: John F Kenny BRED: A J Ilsley TRAINER: D T Hughes

2nd OWNER: Mrs P J Conway

3rd OWNER: Banjo Syndicate

TOTE WIN £3.60 PL £2.30, £2.10; Ex £15.00; CSF £14.71

ANALYSIS: CENTRAL HOUSE stormed back into the Champion Chase picture with a fine performance that wiped away the memory of his eclipse at Fairyhouse a fortnight ago. Adopting his customary front-running role, the nine-year-old set a good pace and, coming to the third-last, Strike Back was the only one out of contention. Watson Lake and Accordion Etoile threatened at different stages in the straight, but Central House found plenty under pressure for a convincing success. Dessie Hughes indicated that he would now head for the Champion Chase and a big run there looks a distinct possibility. Central Hose ran well for a long way in that race last year, but he has looked a better horse this term and, significantly, his trainer added that he is now a stronger horse.

Jim produced a good effort in second. He found himself relegated to fourth place turning in, but stayed on well again in the straight. He has shown some of his best form over fences at around two and a half miles and his stamina stood to him in the closing stages. This was his first run since he finished a good second to Hi Cloy in the Durkan Chase and there could be better to come.

Accordion Etoile faced no easy task against such experienced opponents on what was only his third run over fences and on ground that was softer than he would like. He looked a big danger to Central House at the second-last, but this was his first run since November and that probably told against him in the closing stages. Taking on a good field with such little experience was a good test for this Arkle Chase hopeful and he acquitted himself well. He will go straight to Cheltenham and should play a big part in the outcome there. Grahams lengthened his odds for that race from 5-1 to 7-1, Cashmans left him unchanged at 5-1 and William Hill cut him from 5-1 into 7-2.

Watson Lake won his first two starts of the season and was making his first appearance since November. He has in the past run very well fresh, but had been troubled by a foot infection and wasn't as ready as Noel Meade would have liked. He jumped well and nothing was travelling as well as him turning in, but his effort started to falter after the second-last. A Champion or Ryanair Chase bid is on the cards for him.

Soft

2:15 Normans Grove Chase (Grade 2) (5yo+)

[off 2:15] £20,203.45, £5,927.59, £2,824.14, £962.07 2m1f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Fota Island M F Morris 10 11-7 A P McCoy 11/8 157 133 154+

2 4 Old Flame Paul Nolan 7 11-4 J L Cullen 14/1 132 125 139

3 1 Strike Back Mrs John Harrington 8 11-4 R M Power 16/1 130 124 138

4 20 Central House (GB) D T Hughes 9 11-12 t P Carberry 4/5F 159 107 126

4 ran TIME 4m 29.20s (slow by 17.20s) TOTAL SP 110%

NON RUNNER: John James

1st OWNER: John P McManus BRED: E Morrissey TRAINER: M F Morris

2nd OWNER: Banagher Glen Syndicate

3rd OWNER: Commonstown Racing Syndicate

TOTE WIN £2.70; Ex £16.90; CSF £13.51

ANALYSIS: A perfectly satisfactory performance in unsuitable conditions by FOTA ISLAND, but much of the competitive interest here went by the board with Central House patently failing to run up to form. The winner was easy to back, reflecting the view of trainer Mouse Morris that the very soft ground might find him out, but with the favourite the first horse beaten he was able to assert readily in the straight.

Morris plans to send last season's Grand Annual winner straight to Cheltenham for the Champion Chase and expressed general satisfaction with the performance. He said: "When I came here and saw the ground I honestly thought that he would be second but things obviously became a lot simpler with Central House not running his race. My fellow doesn't like jumping out of soft ground, but there was nothing wrong with that. He's won and I'm happy".

Despite meeting Fota Island on 5lb worse terms than in last month's Leopardstown debacle Central House was the one that punters came for. However, his jumping was much less convincing than usual, and he began to weaken from three out and was already soundly beaten when blundering at the second-last. Perhaps the absence through suspension of regular partner Roger Loughran may have had a bearing on the way he jumped, and this was certainly nothing like his true form.