ROBBIE Power feels Sandymount Duke could be just the type for the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree.

Owned by Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, the Jessica Harrington-trained eight-year-old won the Galway Plate Trial at Down Royal on Friday evening.

Now a winner of four of his seven starts over fences, he is still improving and Power feels he is at his best going left-handed.

"He's always been tough but I was going as hard as I could. I would have loved to have had something to push me along a bit faster.

"He got headed at the second last, he was a bit slow at that. I knew a good jump at the last and I would get back past Devils Bride. I didn't know what was coming behind me, the gallop we had gone I didn't think there was a whole lot coming behind.

"He's all heart, he's not the quickest horse in the world but he's all heart."

When asked if the Galway Plate would suit him, he replied: "Well, I think the English National could suit him. He'll be better going left-handed, he jumps like a buck."

GALWAY TARGET

Rashaan put himself in line for a run on the flat at the Galway Festival next month in winning Mount Charles Hurdle.

Pushed along briefly to close after three out, Sean Flanagan made his move before the second-last, leading at the final flight and keeping on well to justify 8/13 favouritism from Marinero. The five-year-old kept smart company over jumps last season and was backing up a win on the level at Clonmel in May.

Trainer Colin Kidd said: "He's tough and he only does what he has to do, but he still gets the job done. I was a bit nervous saddling an odds-on chance.

"The plan I would imagine now is to either run in the Grade 3 hurdle in Tipperary in two weeks or there is another two-and-a-half-mile conditions hurdle in Cork in three weeks for ones that haven't won more than two since last May, so he would be 'well in' in that as well.

"The immediate plan after that is to go for the GPT in Galway.

"Sean (Flanagan) said they didn't go fast enough for him and if they had gone faster he would have been better. I see there he pulled a shoe coming in as well. He got the job done and he was the best horse in the race and he was entitled to do it."

When asked about the Galway Hurdle, he replied: "I think he is too high in the handicap over hurdles. He is better handicapped on the flat, he is only rated 86 on the flat. He is only 2lb higher now than what he was when he was fifth in the Cesarewitch last autumn so I think the amateur handicap is the race to go for in Galway."

BANNED

Jockey Shane Mulcahy was banned for five days after Meadow Cross finished fourth in the mares beginners chase.

Making her chasing debut for Denis Hogan the mare kept on steadily to finish fourth but the stewards felt the 7lb conditional jockey did not attempt to achieve the best possible position.

Meadow Cross was banned from running for 42 days as a result.

Hogan escaped punishment and also reported to the clerk of the scales that the mare returned with cuts to her hind legs.

READ THE FULL DOWN ROYAL REPORT IN NEXT WEEK'S EDITION OF THE IRISH FIELD