NATIVE River was very much in the news over the past week as Colin Tizzard’s charge recorded his third success in the Betfair Denman Chase at Newbury on Saturday and, after Tuesday’s launch of the weights for the Randox Health Grand National, he was supported into second favourite for the Aintree spectacular.

Ridden for the first time in public by Jonjo O’Neill Jr, the 10-year-old Indian River gelding made all in the near three-mile Grade 2 contest at Newbury much to the delight of his Dromore breeder, Fred Mackey. Fred is inclined to think Native River will miss the National after running in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in which he finished fourth last March having won the Blue Riband of chasing in 2018. He was also third in the Grade 1 contest 12 months previously. Celebrations

Fred watched Saturday’s race while attending the North Down point-to-point at Kirkistown in the company of his wife, Maureen, and their long-time friend, Elizabeth Wilson.

“You would have thought we still owned the horse so good were the celebrations!” related Maureen who said that Fred really connects with Native River having foaled the chesnut, who is out of the Be My Native mare Native Mo, at home. “Our son Richard is going over to Cheltenham but we will watch the Gold Cup here on television and hopefully we will be celebrating as we did when Native River won two years ago!”

The previous afternoon, the Mackeys’ not-too-distant neighbours, the Berry family, watched the Fergal O’Brien-trained Imperial Elysian comfortably land the two-mile, five-furlong handicap hurdle at Kempton under Paddy Brennan.

The six-year-old Kalanisi gelding, who got off the mark on his ninth start when winning the previous time out at Huntingdon in late January, is out of the King’s Theatre mare Diva Antonia. Also on Friday, his full-brother Drenagh, who finished third of 14 in a five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Ballindenisk early last month on his fourth and final start for Stuart Crawford, made his debut for the Alastair Ralph yard at Bangor where he finished third in the bumper.

Hawthorn Cottage, who landed a four-year-old maiden at Knockinroe in November 2017 for owner/trainer Warren Ewing and rider Mark O’Hare, followed up her win in a mares’ handicap hurdle at Doncaster last month by recording a third victory over timber at Plumpton on Monday.

Tribute

The Amy Murphy-trained daughter of Gold Well, who was bred by Roy Wilson out of the hurdle-winning Religiously mare Miss Kilkeel, was winning for the third time under 5lb-claimer Lucy Barry who paid an emotional tribute to the late James Banks when interviewed by Sky Sports Racing’s Luke Harvey.

On the flat, there was a win in the extended two-mile handicap at Newcastle on Tuesday for the Patrick Turley-bred Drums Of War, an eight-year-old gelding by Youmzain ex Min Asl Wafi (by Octagonal) while the Max Ervine-bred four-year-old Broughtons Flare (by Rip Van Winkle ex Purple Glow, by Orientate) won a division of the seven-furlong handicap at Kempton on Wednesday.

Also on the level, but here at Dundalk last Friday evening, No Trouble justified favouritism in the second division of the mile and a half handicap where he was ridden by Ross Coakley. The four-year-old No Nay Never gelding, who scored in the colours of trainer Jerry Cosgrave when successful at the Co Louth track in late November, was running for the first time for Draperstown trainer Noel Kelly and delighted Co Tyrone owner, Cathal McGuckin.