MATIN Midi Et Soir arrived from France with a massive reputation last season and there were signs of why when the four-year-old produced a taking performance on his chasing bow in the BetVictor Beginners Chase - sealing a high-quality double on the day for Darragh O’Keeffe, Henry de Bromhead and Robcour.

The French Grade 3 winner, bought privately from Simon Munir, Haras De Saint-Voir and Isaac Souede, failed to fire as 5/2 favourite for a Punchestown Festival Grade 1 on his only Irish appearance last term. This was much more like it from him, though. With main market rival Ballyfad one of several absentees due to drying ground, he took full advantage with a sound jumping display to comfortably see off Zanndabad over the extended two miles and three furlongs. The successful 1/2 favourite was racing in a first-time tongue-tie.

“He’s a lovely horse,” said De Bromhead. “He obviously had done very well in France. He ran okay at Punchestown, we were probably a little bit disappointed with him. Obviously, we have got to know him a lot more now and he’s one we hope can go on to bigger and better things.

“Darragh said he was delighted with him, he really liked him and he said he gave him a real good feel. [The Drinmore] would certainly be on your mind, but we’ll see what everyone wants to do.”

De Bromhead knows exactly what it takes to win the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham (winning two of the last six renewals), and his improving mare Ash Hobbs earned a quote of 25/1 for that contest after lowering the colours of Switch From Diesel in the Grade 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Feathard Lady Mares Novice Hurdle.

Bought for £170,000 after a ready point-to-point win, Robcour’s Jack Hobbs mare didn’t immediately set the world alight in bumpers but has come into her own since hurdling. This represented an encouraging step forward from when she won a weak mares’ maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse earlier in the month.

“She has really found her form,” said the winning trainer, after the two-and-a-quarter-length blacktype victory.

“She always worked like a nice mare last year and she disappointed us in the bumpers, but the two times we ran her it was very testing ground. We just hoped jumping and nicer ground would stand to her, and she has really excelled. She’s like a different mare this year. The ground is important to her, so we’ll see what everyone wants to do and we can make a plan.”

Heads Up bounces back

JOHN McConnell’s faith in 2025 Champion Bumper second Heads Up was rightly rewarded when the talented six-year-old, ridden by Danny Mullins, got the better of a prolonged duel with Blake in the Listed Bottlegreen Hurdle.

The shape of the race changed considerably when Grade 1 winner Mange Tout was withdrawn on account of drying ground, and her stablemate El Cairos was well beaten when taking a heavy fall at the final flight. Thankfully he walked away after being given a moment to get to his feet.

We didn’t see the best of Heads Up when pulled up in a Fairyhouse Grade 2 last Easter, but his trainer felt he had rectified a knee issue in the interim. The second-season hurdler struck at 10/1 in the colours of Darragh McDonagh.

“We were up against it at the weights and obviously, two horses came out, but there were still some good horses in it,” said McConnell.

“He wouldn’t like the kind of quicker ground that is here, he eats soft ground. He was very good to go through it and to handle it. Everything had gone really well at home. We found a problem with his knee last year after Fairyhouse and Ger Kelly [vet] did a good job in getting it right. We haven’t had a moment’s worry with it this year. I’d say the problem was niggling at him the whole year and finally came out at Fairyhouse. Danny said he’s a different horse to what he rode even when he won last year. We had a plan to go to Punchestown over fences in three weeks, so we’ll see.

“Obviously, he is going to go up to probably 140-plus now. There are good discussions to be had… He’s a very high-class horse. He’s got special casts on his feet this year. It has been a big team effort to get him here and this fit. He will still improve for the run.”

Claude collects

Aidan Kelly was keen to praise trainer Sarah Connell after the pair combined to win the extended-two-mile Metcollect Handicap Chase with recent Cork scorer Claude - now two from two over fences as the only son of Caravaggio to win a chase in Ireland or Britain.

Things got tight on the run to the second last for market leader Manoir De Mirande, but he was unable to land a telling blow anyway, as owner-breeder Michael Ryan’s five-year-old fended off Costacurta with more in hand than the half-length margin of success suggests.

Kelly said of the 9/2 winner: “Sarah has only a handful of horses, but she is well able to train them. It was her idea to go jumping fences with him. He’s not bred for it, but he seems to take to it well. The last day at Cork, he won going away and he was tough today.

“Fair play to Sarah, he did plenty of work up the Curragh. He’s a quirky individual but did it well.”

GORDON Elliott so often farms this meeting and - despite a depleted day-one team due to withdrawals over drying ground - he managed to top and tail the card through a pair of talented youngsters.

The Cullentra team began the day with a successful first start over hurdles from Punchestown Grade 1 bumper winner With Nolimit in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle over an extended two miles and six furlongs.

On paper, it looked a straightforward assignment for Gigginstown’s 1/6 favourite, ridden by Jack Kennedy, and he was always doing enough to beat stablemate Water Mill by four lengths.

“Jack got a good spin off him and said he wasn’t doing a stroke the whole way round,” said Elliott, after winning the same race he’d already landed in recent years with the likes of The Yellow Clay, American Mike, Hollow Games, Farouk D’alene and Fury Road.

“It was pretty straightforward. Just a messy race, he wasn’t doing a whole lot in front. I think he’s a better horse with a lead. It is all about chasing down the road. Obviously, he could go to Fairyhouse or somewhere before - I’ll talk to Michael and Eddie [O’Leary]. We are a little slower [starting our horses] this year and there is plenty of improvement in all of them.”

100 up for Swan

Seven of the previous 10 editions of the WTW Willis Bumper had gone the way of Elliott and he did the same again with the experienced Premier Division, who had met some of the top bumper horses in training last season and was by no means winning out of turn.

Edelle Logan’s Walk In The Park five-year-old came home well to go one better than his Punchestown Festival second as 4/9 favourite under Harry Swan - this being a landmark 100th winner for the rider.

Elliott said: “We think he is a good horse. It turned into a bit of a sprint, which may not have suited him. I’d imagine he will probably go jumping hurdles now. He always works very well at home.”

Collins on target

Co Galway-based trainer Darren Collins picked a big meeting to notch his first track winner in a year through the gutsy Lost Features, who opened her account in the three-mile Eventsec Handicap Hurdle.

Stepping up to this distance for the first time really played to the strengths of the Profit In Your Pocket Racing Club’s mare. She found generously for pressure under Philip Donovan to spring a 33/1 surprise off her mark of 72.

Speaking after the three-quarter-length win over Juke Box Rock, Collins said: “She was a keeping-on third at Tramore over a shorter trip and then she missed a bit after that. She was just a bit stiff and sore after it.

“We were coming here thinking we were a little bit short as she missed a week. Maybe [that] freshened her up well and three miles [suited today]. This gives us options; she is low-graded, but she has a good heart and she tries for you.”