THE Stuart Crawford-trained O’Toole bounced back to form to land the featured Listed QuinnBet Handicap Chase under J.J. Slevin. A smart bumper horse, who also won on two occasions over hurdles, the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned gelding previously placed in a Grade 2 chase.

The 14/1 chance looked to be in trouble when pushed along in mid-division after two out, but once his stamina kicked in, he found plenty for pressure, staying on best to hold the fast-finishing Invictus Machin by a neck.

“We’ve thought the world of this horse from the day he won the bumper in Fairyhouse. He was second in the Grade 1 at Punchestown,” said Crawford.

“He’s had a few wee problems and it’s kept him off the track for a long time. He had a really good run in Cork after a long lay-off. We went to Haydock, and we fancied him to go well. For whatever reason, it didn’t happen and we gave him a good break and had this race in mind.”

Double green

Simon Munir and Isaac Souede’s colours were carried to victory earlier on the card when the Willie Mullins-trained El Fabiolo (2/7f) proved far too strong for a quartet of rivals in the QuinnBet Hurdle.

A four-time Grade 1 winner over fences and Grade 1-placed over hurdles, the nine-year-old tracked Maxxum in the early stages, with Paul Townend electing to go on before halfway. Soon in command, Townend merely had to extend an inch of rein entering the straight before powering clear to win by 21 lengths.

Townend said: “I thought if I could hold him for some bit, but when they were going that slow, I just let him at it because I didn’t want to get into too much of a fight with him.

“He took on his hurdles really nicely and he’s won really well. I think he could be competitive at a good level. I think they can farm plenty of nice races with him.”

TRAINER Sarah Joanna Connell landed a big success as Promontory stayed on best under Donagh Meyler to win the Dublin National Handicap Chase. Carrying the famous colours of Malcolm Denmark, the nine-year-old was making the ninth start of his career.

Well placed throughout, the 4/1 chance was pushed along after two out and went third early in the straight, before moving up to join Slotty Dotty jumping the final fence. Finding plenty of reserves on his first start over three and a half miles, Promontory went away on the run-in to win by six and a half lengths.

“That was lovely. He had a good run the last day in Navan on ground that I didn’t think he’d handle. We were expecting him to improve off the back of that,” said Connell.

“He jumped very well, Donagh said down the back he just kept jumping himself into it. He stayed all the way to the line and I’m delighted with him. Today was kind of the plan. That’s his second run in a handicap and hopefully he can keep progressing.”

Improving

Donagh Meyler completed the first leg of a double on the card when landing the opening Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Novice Hurdle aboard the Emmet Mullins-trained Vitorio Piel.

Sent off 9/4, the Damian Tiernan-owned gelding tracked odds-on favourite Grey Jude for much of the contest and was pushed along after two out. Staying on to lead just before the final flight, the Spanish Moon gelding went away on the run-in to score by six and a half lengths.

“It was a nice performance, hopefully now he’s just coming to himself,” said Mullins. “I think he should improve again for a bit of nicer ground as the spring goes on. The final of this series in Punchestown is going to be the big aim for him.”

DECLAN Queally made all aboard Adaboy Mushy to justify 7/4 favouritism in the concluding QuinnBet (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race. Trained by Queally’s father of the same name, the newcomer understandably showed some signs of greenness, but looked a potentially nice prospect.

Running around entering the home straight, the O’Rourke Construction Ltd-owned four-year-old looked there for the taking as a whole host of runners queued up in behind.

However, the eventual winner showed plenty of resolve in keeping them all at bay for a cosy two-length success.

“He’s a nice horse,” said Queally. “He’d been working with all the decent horses, so we thought coming here that he’d be fairly hard to beat unless he bumped into a very good horse. He was green in his ways. He’s a fine big horse, around 17 hands, and I’m delighted with him.”

All works out

Keith Donoghue once again showed that he has few equals, when delivering a horse from off the pace as Dee’s Lady (9/1) stayed on best to open her account in the Trackman Range At Leopardstown Golf Centre Novice Handicap Hurdle.

Held up in the initial stages, the David L’Estrange-owned filly progressed on the run to the second last. Pushed along early in the home straight, with those in front beginning to tread water, the daughter of Blue Bresil eventually got to front to score by two and a quarter lengths.

“She had a couple of good runs in maiden hurdles last year, but just took a while to come to hand as she didn’t come back to us for a good while,” said trainer Philip Dempsey. “It worked out grand and she won well in the end. She’s a nice filly. I’d imagine she’ll go chasing next year.”

Far Hills plan

The Gordon Elliott-trained Playtime stepped up on a promising recent effort over flights, when easily landing the Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle.

Third at Thurles last month, the West Of The Shannon Syndicate-owned gelding was prominent throughout under Josh Williamson. Moving into second after the penultimate flight, the 7/4 chance asserted on the run to the last and kept on strongly to win by eight lengths.

Aidan ‘Mouse’ O’Ryan said: “He’s a grand horse, we bought him out of Andrew Balding’s. The plan will be to go to Far Hills in October. He’ll pay his way during the summer; he wants better ground than that. We’ll probably go back on the flat as well.”