SANDRA Hughes enhanced her increasingly impressive record in some of Fairyhouse’s most valuable races as the progressive Nearly Nama’d bagged the €100,000 Underwriting Exchange Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase.

At the same track where she sent out Lieutenant Colonel to win last season’s Hatton’s Grace Hurdle before Thunder And Roses claimed a famous triumph in the Irish Grand National, Sandra Hughes launched a two strong challenge for this prize.

Indeed for much of the straight it looked as though Nearly Nama’d and Guitar Pete would supply her with a one-two before Mozoltov came through to split the pair late on.

Nearly Nama’d was maintaining the fine progress that he has shown this winter. After a couple of tame efforts in the summer, he bounced back to score at 40/1 in a good handicap over this course and distance in November where he accounted for the subsequent Paddy Power hero Minella Foru. That form ensured that the J.P. McManus-owned went off at 4/1 this time and, significantly, Barry Geraghty got down to 10st 5lb to take the ride.

Nearly Nama’d looked to have plenty left in reserve when he improved to challenge Guitar Pete at the second last and it wasn’t long before he moved into a lead of several lengths. A good jump at the last made sure of victory with Mozoltov coming through to finish a four and a half length second. There was a further length back to Guitar Pete.

“He’s a great jumper and this is his ground, these are the conditions he excels in. He ran a couple of times during the summer but he just wasn’t handling the ground,” said Sandra Hughes. “He’s just much stronger this year. Even Barry felt that he had strengthened up a lot since he last ran. I’ll talk to Frank and J.P. and see where we will go from here.

“Guitar Pete ran a fantastic race. He needs the ground better than it was today and I wouldn’t rule out bringing him to Cheltenham for something,” added the trainer.

Nearly Nama’d was the highlight of a treble for J.P. McManus and the owner provided Gordon Elliott with his third winner of the day when Sutton Place (4/9) picked up the bumper. Fresh from a debut third in a decent Navan maiden hurdle won by Anibale Fly, this son of Mahler enjoyed a leisurely triumph under Jonathan Moore. He eased ahead of Greco Romain with over a furlong to run and only needed to be pushed along to finish four and three quarter lengths clear.

“We mightn’t do much more with him this season. I’m not sure if we’ll go down the winner’s bumper route. He’ll be a nice horse with another summer behind him,” declared Elliott.

MCMANUS TREBLE

The middle leg of the McManus treble came courtesy of Marlbrook (7/2) in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Rated Novice Chase which gave trainer Colm Murphy his first winner since August.

As he looked to build on his second to Noble Endeavor at Down Royal, the lightly raced eight-year-old made most of the running under Mark Walsh. Balnagon Boy was the only threat in the straight but couldn’t mount a challenge and Marlbrook won easily despite making a mistake at the last. A combination of the ground and low lying sun meant that six fences were omitted from this race.

“He’s been unlucky a few times so it’s good to see him back and he ran quite a nice race at Down Royal last time. We’ll look for a handicap now,” stated the owner’s racing manager Frank Berry.

ELLIOTT

The first winner of the day for Elliott came when Tocororo (13/8) won the juvenile maiden hurdle to endorse the form of the Leopardstown maiden in which she finished fourth to the exciting Ivanovich Gorbatov.

Bryan Cooper produced the Gigginstown House Stud-owned filly to head the evens favourite Swamp Fox before the last and Tocororo went to the line well to defeat that horse by three and three quarter lengths.

“She handled the ground well. I’d say she’ll get further and we’ll look for a winners’ race next,” reported Elliott.

The trainer then struck with the Barry Geraghty-ridden Myztique in the two and a quarter mile mares’ maiden hurdle. The dual bumper winner had to settle for the runner-up position on her first two outings over timber but took advantage of good opportunity to justify 11/8 favouritism.

The daughter of High Chaparral came way from the penultimate flight with a useful lead and she got away from the last quicker than the chasing Commeragh Trix. At the line the Margaret McKenna-owned mare had seven and a half lengths to spare.

“Better ground would probably help. She’ll probably head to England for a novice hurdle next and if we could pick up some blacktype at some stage that would be great,” declared Elliott.

GIGGINSTOWN

Gigginstown and Bryan Cooper then brought up a double of their own with Mckinley (6/4) in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase. The free-wheeling Alisier D’Irande held a good lead when he crashed out at the third last which left Mckinley in front and, while he didn’t do much, he kept going to defeat Missyspet by five and a half lengths. This was a first win for Mckinley since he claimed a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Naas just over a year ago.

“Maybe we were a bit fortuitous. He idled in front the whole way once he was left in the lead and the loose horses probably helped him. We’ll look for a winners’ race now,” reported Willie Mullins.

Shannak, who served notice that he wouldn’t be long getting his turn when chasing home Ice Cold Soul at Leopardstown last month, had little difficulty landing the Underwriting Exchange Handicap Hurdle. The7/4 favourite travelled powerfully throughout this 80-109 contest for Danny Mullins. From the turn in Shannak had only Court Challenge for company and he saw off that rival before the last to come five lengths clear.

“This looked a weaker race than Leopardstown,” reported the jockey’s father, Tony, who trains the gelding for Michael Foley. “He’s not a big horse but he jumps fences well and I’d say he has a future over fences. He’ll go again in a couple of hurdles and seems to handle that ground well.”

Acting Stewards

T. Hunt, P. Caffrey, C. Cunningham, J. Rearden, P.D. Matthews

Horse To Follow

COMMERAGH TRIX (C. Byrnes): This bumper winner made a solid start over hurdles to chase home Myztique and she should improve on this effort over the next few weeks.

Race reports

PEOPLES Park, who pulled up when favourite for the rated novice chase, was reported by Barry Geraghty to have emptied at the third last.

Ceylon was found to have twisted a shoe when pulling up in the mares’ maiden hurdle for which she started second favourite. She was also reported to have lost her action.