CHELTENHAM

CHELTENHAM used to start with a quiet two-day fixture but with excellent prize-money now on offer and Irish challengers much in evidence, the ‘Showcase’ meeting has become a lot more popular.

The Irish haul was three on Saturday as John McConnell’s Pearl Of The West landed the Masterson Holdings Hurdle and Gordon Elliott doubled up with easy winner Dinons and the admirable novice chase winner Cubomania, who has progressed substantially under the care of his trainer.

Philip Hobbs has started well but even-money favourite Gumball faded late on in the hurdle as the front-running Pearl Of The West kept on strongly for Sean Bowen to hold Redicean by just over three lengths.

“She stays very well and has good form on the flat,” McConnell said. “I’ve had this race in mind for eight weeks and we’ll have a look at the OLBG mares’ race when the time comes, as I haven’t kept her novice status.”

Pearl Of The West, very fit, has won four of her seven hurdles races but was receiving 15lbs from Redicean. All in all, it was a shrewd bit of placing.

EASY FOR DINONS

Elliott and Richard Johnson cleaned up in the novice events, 4/6 shot Dinons hitting a couple before drawing right away from De Name Evades Me in the Randox Health Novices’ Hurdle and Cubomania mastering Nicky Henderson’s Monbeg Legend in the Move Over To Matchbook Novices’ Chase.

Dinons was making it five on the spin and is clearly a talented horse.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back over here for a graded three-mile race. He’s a big, honest, galloping horse and a chaser in the making,” the trainer said. “Cubomania is very versatile and still well-handicapped on the flat, so I’ll probably bring him back over for a race on the level.”

MODUS FOR J.P.

Grand National sponsors Randox Health mean business and there was over €37,000 in the pot for the winner of the two-mile handicap chase.

Paul Nicholls targets these valuable Cheltenham contests and J.P. McManus’s Modus, 4/1, having recovered from a mistake three out, was headed soon after the last by Nicky Richards’ Duke Of Navan but rallied gamely in the dying strides. Long-time leader Foxtail Hill was well held in third.

“There are plenty of options,” Nicholls said.

“He lost his way as a novice over fences but is relaxing more now and growing up. He probably wants further than two miles.”