‘THE dream is still alive’ with Echoing Silence after a convincing success in listed company at Punchestown on Thursday.

Henry de Bromhead has Cheltenham in mind for the Doyen filly after she supplemented her maiden hurdle success with victory in the Matchbook 50:50 Graduation Series Mares Novice Hurdle.

Darragh O’Keeffe led turning for home on the Kenny Alexander-owned mare and she kept on strongly from the last to post a two-and-three-quarter-length win over Switch From Diesel.

“She’s a cracker, a lovely mare. I’m delighted for Kenny, that was great, and Darragh gave her a super ride,” said de Bromhead of the 5/2 winner.

“She jumped great, travelled well, and picked up well. The dream is alive. She’s a queen of a mare.

“We bought her off JJ Bowe and Sam Curling, who highly recommended her.

“Last year she didn’t stop growing, she went a bit weak on us and we said we’d give her a bit of time.She won her bumper and she’s come back from Rathmore (Stud) twice the mare this year.

“I’d say we’ll work our way back from the Mares Novice Hurdle (at Cheltenham). I don’t know if we need to go anywhere before that, I don’t think so. We might freshen her up now.”

Hayes at the double

Brian Hayes had a good day at the office with a double on the card. He teamed up with Colm Murphy for the first leg as Zanoosh opened her jumping account in the Matchbook Maiden hurdle.

The 2/1 shot led going to the last and asserted on the run-in to post a five-and-a-half-length win over Fillyoureye.

“We’re delighted with that, she improved from the last day,” said Murphy.

“She had a bit of experience taking them on today.

“She seems to go on the ground, there was no hiding place there. We’ll try and find a little handicap for her.

“We’ll see what he gives her and take baby steps.”

Hayes looked to be on the third string from Willie Mullins’ yard in the Solo Arte Hurdle but Sea Of The Sands proved best in the two-mile conditions event.

The 13/2 shot led turning for home and kept on well in the closing stages to beat stablemate Charlus by two and a half lengths.

Hayes, in the colours of Joe Keeling, said: “It was a very good performance, he stuck at it well. He had a great run last year in Fairyhouse, in the Royal Bond, and thankfully he’s delivering on that now.”

WILLIE Mullins had also been on the mark in the two-mile contest when Espresso Milan scored on his first outing for the yard in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle.

Paul Townend was in touch throughout on the 8/11 shot and Stewart Andrew’s gelding got the better of stablemate Blue Velvet in the closing stages to score by a length and a half.

Townend said: “It was a nice performance, he was very professional in the way he raced and was a great ride. I thought he quickened nicely off a sedate pace but he’ll have no bother getting further as well. He jumped brilliant and will jump a fence in time.”

Steel shines in opener

Pure Steel ran out a cosy winner of the opening Matchbook Rated Novice Chase, on his second outing over fences.

Mark Walsh, in the colours of J.P. McManus, produced the 5/2 shot to lead before the last and Jimmy Mangan’s charge kept on well to assert in the closing stages and post a three-and-a-quarter-length success.

“We like him. We’ll stick to two miles at the moment,” said Mangan.

“For the calibre of horses that are in the country it was a handy enough race. There was no real star in it and he was entitled to win. We could look at a novice handicap, around two miles again.”

Too good

In the other chase on the card, Kurasso Blue proved too good for his elders. The Gordon Elliott-trained four-year-old led four from home in the two-mile-seven furlong contest and was sent on by Jack Kennedy going to the last.

The Robcour-owned gelding always looked in control from there as he posted a length-and-a-half success over Ballygunner Castle.

Kennedy said: “He jumped great. His slowest jumps were probably the third and fourth last but it was a good round of jumping.

“He’ll probably be better with a lead as well, he was having a bit of a look.

“He’s probably not the quickest horse in the world but stays well so I was keen to press on with him. He was a big frame of a horse and is probably only filling into himself now. Hopefully he can improve away.”

MILANAWAY gained a deserved success on her 26th start when making most of the running to claim the first division of the Matchbook Festive Handicap Hurdle.

Philip Donovan gave the Denis Hogan-trained mare a positive ride and the 25/1 shot rallied when headed on the run-in to beat Yoursimplythebest by two and a half lengths.

Donovan said: “She did it well and I’m delighted for the man that owns her (Tim Conroy) as he bred her. That’s her 26th run and I’m delighted that she’s got her head in front. She’s been consistent. That’s her grade and hopefully there might be a bit more to come from her.”

Front runner

In the second division of the race, run over just shy of three miles, Comeonarchie was also given a well judged front-running ride by amateur Jack Martin. The well backed 13/2 shot asserted down over the last to win by four and a half lengths for trainer Finbar Hand.

“I’m delighted for the man on his back, he’s a real good rider. He rides out for me all the time,” said Hand.

“This horse has been an enigma. He was second here twice last year but he’s had a lot of problems. He’s just come good in the last two weeks. The cheekpieces helped, Jack said.”