IT was disappointing that the Stuart Crawford-trained Montana Belle found one too good for her at Cheltenham on Saturday when the four-year-old High Chaparral bay went down by three lengths to the two-year-older Bitofapuzzle in the listed mares’ bumper.

Montana Belle carried the colours of Roger Brookhouse who had the pleasure of seeing his Champagne West win on his chasing debut at the Cotswold track the previous afternoon.

Bred in Co Meath by Peter Byrne, the Westerner gelding won three times over hurdles last season before finishing fourth in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) at the Cheltenham Festival in March. Champagne West’s racing career commenced with a win in a Loughanmore maiden in November 2012.

The former Brian Hamilton-trained Definitly Red, who won his maiden at Loughanmore in October last year, landed his third bumper, and his second at listed level, at Cheltenham on Sunday. The Definite Article gelding finished four and a half lengths clear of Arabic History.