INTEREST in the Grade 2 Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park on Saturday reduced significantly when the Cheltenham Gold Cup ante-post favourite Presenting Percy skipped the race at short notice. Nonetheless, it gave us an opportunity to appraise the worth of Monalee, who is close up in the betting for the Ryanair Chase.

Monalee duly won at Gowran, but by just two lengths from Anibale Fly (who was admittedly receiving 7lbs) at a trip that would not really have suited the latter. The other two runners, Edwulf and Killultagh Vic, bombed out.

In time terms, this was none too impressive, as Monalee ran the two and a half miles 1.8s (about nine lengths) slower than Duc Des Genievres managed carrying 2lbs more in a beginners’ chase a bit later on. The two winners’ times were near identical in the closing stages, so it was not simply down to the Red Mills being much more tactical.

My sectionally-adjusted figures come out at 139 for Monalee and 147 for Duc Des Genievres. It is possible – I would not put it any stronger than that – the latter is a really good novice, but, even so, Monalee should have been running faster than him in the circumstances. Monalee has past form which puts him in the mix for the Ryanair, but this win did little to advance his cause in my opinion.

EMPHATIC

There was an emphatic victory for Darasso in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle earlier on the Gowran card, with the Joseph O’Brien-trained gelding confirming his status as a 149-rated performer.

Navan on Sunday gave another opportunity to see the magnificent Tiger Roll in action, this time over hurdles in the Ladbrokes Ireland Boyne Hurdle, which he won emphatically despite going off at 25/1.

It was a steadily-run affair (finishing speed of 107%), which meant that Tiger Roll’s timefigure came out at just 127. It seems reasonable to think he can still run to something like the 157 figure that his Grand National win implies, however.

Chris’s Dream was a game winner of the Ten Up Novice Chase in quite a close finish, returning a 146 timefigure that suggests he will continue to do well if avoiding the very best novices, and the result also gave a significant boost to Ballyward (now 155 timefigure), who had beaten him and Champagne Classic hands down at Naas the time before.

Chris’s Dream was a massive 13.7s quicker than Ucello Conti (105 timefigure) in the following Hunters’ Chase.

Allaho achieved nothing especially out of the ordinary – and a 129 timefigure – when landing the Grade 3 Novice Hurdle at Clonmel on Thursday, but he does give the impression of being one of the best longer-term prospects around.