ON his first start since finishing third in last season’s Champion Hurdle, Darver Star got the latest chapter in his career off to a smooth and commanding start in the Ladbrokes-sponsored beginners’ chase over two miles.

As he looked to build on a remarkable season in which he improved several stone to develop into one of the best hurdlers around, Gavin Cromwell’s charge took well to this discipline.

This race threatened to get a little messy initially with a loose horse not helping the leaders and there was some ragged jumping early on including a rather ponderous leap from Darver Star (8/13) at the third.

Otherwise though, the odds-on favourite produced a good round of jumping under Keith Donoghue and he won easily after sauntering past Star Max to lead at the penultimate fence. The SSP Number Twentytwo Syndicate-owned winner finished with a dozen lengths to spare over Le Musigny.

“Gavin was very happy with him and that was a lovely start over fences,” reported the trainer’s assistant Feidhlim Cunningham. “He might come back here for the Grade 2 Craddockstown Novice Chase back here in the middle of next month.”

Meanwhile, the winning rider added: “Down the back when I was trying to make up ground he jumped dead straight and very quick. I think in a good race he’d have no bother. He has loads of scope and is well able to use himself. He’s an exciting horse.”

Gordon Elliott has been dominating the early exchanges in the juvenile hurdle division and he unveiled a three-year-old of substance in the Ladbrokes 3-Y-O Hurdle where the Cheveley Park Stud-owned Quilixos impressed.

This fine son of Maxios was a 12-length winner of his only start in France last March produced an assured display under Denis O’Regan and jumped well. From before the turn-in the 1/2 favourite had matters in hand and he pulled well clear in the closing stages for what looked a leisurely 13-length triumph over the previous course winner Scholastic.

“He’s a nice type and a big, galloping horse who will be well able to jump a fence in time. You’d like what he did there and he should improve plenty from this too.

“He’ll either go to Down Royal for a winner’s race or head to Wetherby for a Grade 3 the same weekend,” commented the trainer.

Meade fires in two winners

NOEL Meade’s red-hot run of form yielded a double which began when the talented Sixshooter (11/8) claimed the Ladbrokes-sponsored conditions hurdle over an extended two and a quarter miles.

A winner of a maiden hurdle at this meeting last year, the Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding was defeating Kilfenora to whom he was rated 16lbs inferior and to whom he also had to concede 6lb. The Sean Flanagan-ridden Sixshooter got the better of his 151-rated rival before the last flight for a four-and-a-half-length success.

“He’s been a slow maturing horse and he actually grew since last season so I’d hope there is more improvement to come from him. He’s still a young horse and maybe he will stay hurdling this season,” reported Meade.

“Last season his jumping was poor and he had a problems with ulcers.”

Newcomer

The trainer went on to make it a double with the Finny Maguire-ridden newcomer Mare Quimby (13/2) in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Flat Race.

This Presenting four-year-old, who hails from a good family that goes back to Corbiere, was travelling quite nicely in the front rank turning for home and soon set about stamping her authority on this race en route to a taking two-and-a-half-length triumph over Phillapa Sue.

“I think we will try for another bumper, if the owners agree. She’s owned by a syndicate headed by Peter Parkhill whose father Ken bred her, and she could go to Navan for a listed mares’ bumper next month. You’d like the way she won as she was very green,” declared Meade.

Rachael rocks up a double

THERE was further joy for Gigginstown House Stud as Henry de Bromhead’s Baptism Of Fire (9/2) led home a one-two for Michael O’Leary’s outfit in the Ladbrokes Best Odds Guaranteed Maiden Hurdle over two and a half miles.

The Gigginstown-owned odds-on favourite Wide Receiver looked to have this race in safe keeping coming to the last but he got that flight all wrong and lost valuable momentum, and Rachael Blackmore seized upon this opportunity to get her mount home by a length and a quarter.

The winner showed promise in a couple of bumpers last season but this was much his best effort to date.

The winning rider went on to add to her tally as the Arthur Moore-trained Midland Millie deservedly got her turn in the 80-102 rated Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle over two and a half miles.

As she looked to build on a solid comeback run at Listowel, this Kalanisi mare dug in splendidly after finding herself in front at the entrance to the straight. The 9/2 chance fended off the persistent effort of Bellaney Gem by a length and a half.

“I’m delighted for her owner Mr Trappe, who is such a gentleman and gets so much pleasure out of it, and I got a great kick out of Rachael riding her too as she used to come down and ride out for us back when she was in college in Dublin,” reflected Moore who was racing for the first time since March.

“I actually bought her and Fag An Bealach as foals off William Flood on the same day at the Goffs December National Hunt Sale and now, six years later, they are both after winning within a week of each other.”

Deadheat (3/1) is building up a nice profile for the father and son team of Sean and Noel McParlan and the half-brother to Great Field made it two wins from four starts in Ireland in the Ladbrokes-sponsored handicap chase over an extended three miles.

The seven-year-old son of Buck’s Boum was strongly pressed by the very well-backed favourite Arverne turning for home but had any amount left in reserve at this stage and he powered away from the second last to pull five lengths clear.

Running and riding fines

OWNER, trainer and rider Alan Wells was hit with a €3,000 fine and picked up a 21-day suspension after the stewards looked into the running and riding of Eileens Boy who finished a staying-on seventh in the maiden hurdle won by Baptism Of Fire.

After hearing evidence from Wells, the stewards found him to be in breach of Rule 212(A)(ii) and applied the various sanctions after taking his clean record into account.

Eileens Boy was also banned from racing for 60 days.