COURAGE and stamina were the requisite qualities for this year’s Red Mills Chase and Chris’s Dream showed that he possessed both in abundance as he gave Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore back-to-back successes in this Grade 2 race.

On his first outing since winning the Troytown Chase, Chris’s Dream (3/1) produced a splendid display from the front and jumped well if going somewhat right at many of his fences.

By the time the leader came to the third last – at which point the runners were almost obscured by driving rain – de Bromhead’s charge looked to have all his rivals covered apart from Shattered Love. Hard as the latter tried, she could not find a way past and she went down by two and a quarter lengths. The evens favourite Real Steel pulled up after struggling for much of the race and Paul Townend reported that he never travelled.

“I’m delighted even if he did jump out to his right for some reason,” said the trainer whose charge is owned by Brian Acheson’s Robcour. “He’s a horse that seems to lose his form after about three runs each season which is why we have campaigned him the way we have. For the last two seasons he has been disappointing at the backend. He’s in the Ryanair and the Gold Cup at Cheltenham but we’ll just have to see and we’ll enjoy today.”

Spyglass Hill rounded off an excellent day for de Bromhead and Blackmore in the BoyleSports-sponsored beginners’ chase.

This Niall O’Leary-owned gelding was still in with every chance when falling two out in a Naas Grade 2 last month so he was certainly a deserving winner.

After sticking to the near side rail in the straight, the 5/2 shot asserted in good style to defeat the 138-rated Milan Native by six lengths.

The novice handicap chase at the Cheltenham Festival could be next in line for the winner.

Cilaos Emery now heading to Champion Hurdle

THE first leg of a bold mid-season change of tack saw Cilaos Emery land the Grade 3 Red Mills Trial Hurdle which has set him up to try and emulate Hardy Eustace (2005) by winning both this race and the Champion Hurdle in the same season.

For much of the campaign the Luke McMahon-owned gelding looked a fascinating contender for Champion Chase glory. However, he met with a hitch when he fell at the first behind Chacun Pour Soi a fortnight previously and the increasingly open nature of this year’s Champion Hurdle prompted a change of heart from his connections.

Victory

Evidently nothing other than victory was countenanced for Willie Mullins’ charge who was backed from 8/15 into 1/4 favouritism. Paul Townend’s mount made a mistake at the fourth and wasn’t too fluent three out but by the time he reached the next he already looked to be in command and he handed out a nine and a half-length beating to the heavy ground specialist Darasso.

“That’s the first half of Luke’s plan. It’s hard for any horse to be impressive on that ground and in this weather and I was impressed with what he did there,” stated Mullins. “We’ve debated between the Champion Chase and the Champion Hurdle. The Champion Chase looks very tight whereas the Champion Hurdle this year looks very open.” Mullins confirmed later that Cilaos Emery would be supplemented for the championship race at a cost of £22,500.

Elliott unveils a new queen, Dempseys get The Long Mile home

GORDON Elliott introduced a potential star in Queens Brook in the Ronan Lawlor Memorial Irish EBF Mares (Pro/Am) Flat Race. This Shirocco mare impressed in a Dromahane point-to-point in November and here on her racecourse debut, she handed out a 21-lengths beating to Nelly’s Money.

Jamie Codd’s mount justified her position as the 11/10 favourite and she is owned by Noel and Valerie Moran. “The worry today was the heavy ground but she coped with it. We might go to Fairyhouse at Easter for a listed bumper but I’ll talk to Noel and Valerie first. They have invested a lot in some very nice horses and I’m delighted for them,” reported Elliott.

The exacting nature of the ground made the Sea Moon & Shantou At Burgage Stud Maiden Hurdle quite a test for the 14 four-year-olds and it saw the Elliott-trained favourite Saint D’Oroux come home in splendid isolation.

After meeting with defeat on his first three starts in Ireland, the even money shot went to the front at around halfway for Davy Russell and never came off the bridle to finish with 24 lengths to spare. Cheltenham’s Fred Winter will be next for the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned gelding.

Another easy winner came in the shape of Joseph O’Brien’s Fakir who had 11 lengths to spare at the finish of the Auto Boland Jaguar & Land Rover Waterford Handicap Hurdle over two and a half miles.

Oakley Brown rode a race of some confidence on board the Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding who he dropped out at the rear of the field before scything through the pack to turn this into a one-sided affair in the straight. The improving 11/1 shot now looks likely to step-up in class.

Philip Dempsey and his son Luke successfully joined forces when the J.P. McManus-owned The Long Mile bagged the Talbot Carlow Careys Cottage Cup Novice Handicap Chase over two miles.

The 3/1 favourite was 9lb worse off with Conright Boy for a three-quarter lengths victory at Naas in December and he confirmed that form by collaring that rival after the last to score by two lengths.