KITTEN Rock looks an emerging force among the country’s top tier of hurdlers after his successful comeback in the Grade 3 Fishery Lane Hurdle which already had Edward O’Grady looking towards his chasing career.

A dual winner last season and in an interesting edition of this two-mile contest, the Ruby Walsh-ridden Kitten Rock was pitted against Analifet who was returning from a pelvis injury she sustained at Christmas.

The last-named set off in front. However Analifet (eventually finished fifth of the five runners) couldn’t match Kitten Rock (7/2) when he loomed upsides with two to jump and the 137-rated rated winner soon stretched clear before a seven and a half lengths win over Henry Higgins.

“He won quite well but I’m just not sure where to go with him as it’s terribly difficult to place a four-year-old in their second season,” said O’Grady whose wife, Maria, owns the son of Laverock. “There is a lot of improvement in him. Ruby was impressed with his jumping and he’s just shy of 17 hands so in time I think Grade 1 chasing could be his forte.”

Twelve months ago the two-mile, three-furlongs beginners’ chase went to Road To Riches and this year’s renewal played host to a couple of promising types with Real Steel outpointing Le Vent D’Antan. The Grade 2-winning Real Steel (11/8) was having his first start for Mouse Morris having previously been with Philip Fenton and he took well to this new discipline.

From five out, the Byran Cooper-ridden front-runner and Le Vent D’Antan went toe to toe but Real Steel was the stronger from the last and prevailed by four and a half lengths. There was some 29 lengths back to the remainder.

Of the Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding, Morris reflected: “He jumped well and he’s very big so I was pleased with how he fiddled his fences. I think he’ll make a very nice three-mile chaser and we’ll look for a winners’ race next.”

Cooper and Gigginstown completed a double with dual bumper winner Killer Crow in the two and a half miles maiden hurdle. The Presenting gelding was beaten at 4/9 in a Roscommon maiden two months previously but he produced a vastly better round of jumping to account for the market leader Fine Article. Killer Crow (3/1) and Fine Article were locked in combat from the second last but the first-named produced a much more fluent jump at the final flight to settle the outcome.

“I was happy to see him win like that over this trip as Bryan felt he was a bit free,” commented the champion trainer. “I think this trip may be as far as he wants and he could drop back to two miles for a novice.”

Earlier, the two-mile maiden hurdle saw the promising Free Expression (11/10) make a successful start over timber and this could be a race that throws up its share of winners. The J.P. McManus-owned Free Expression was running for the first time since his taking victory in a valuable point-to-point bumper at Fairyhouse at Easter. Mark Walsh’s mount jumped a little big at several of his hurdles but still produced a nice display and picked up smartly from the final flight to pull four and a half lengths clear of the Thurles bumper winner On Impulse.

“He jumped a bit big but in fairness to the horse the ground has been that quick we haven’t been able to school him on grass,” commented Elliott. “He’d probably be better over two and a half miles. He might progress into a horse for some of the better staying novice hurdles.”

The Big Apple completed a double for the McManus team with an emphatic victory in the bumper which moved jockey Padraig Roche on to the notable milestone of 50 career wins. On his only previous start last March the Christy Roche-trained son of Presenting showed promise in a listed novice hurdle and he was backed from as big as 6/1 in the morning into 5/2 joint favouritism.

The Big Apple was full of running when arriving with his bid nearing the last couple of furlongs and he sauntered a dozen lengths clear to look like one with a real future.

“Padraig gave him a very good ride. He was a bit free and a bit of a handful but he got him settled well and the horse did it nicely. I’d say he will go jumping now,” remarked Berry.

Leap Dearg could be set for an industrious winter on the evidence of his smooth comeback in the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Chase. The imposing six-year-old was running for the first time since March and, on just the sixth outing of his career, he was backed into 13/8 favourite.

Leap Dearg led for jockey Patrick Corbett at the last and only needed to be nudged out to defeat West Council by seven lengths. It will be quite a surprise if the Beneficial gelding fails to win again.

“He just needed time to grow into his frame. He had conditions in his favour today whereas they were against a few of those that have been running throughout the summer,” reported Robert Tyner, who trains the winner for Mary Hayes. “We’re not tied to two miles with him and he wants a good galloping track.”

Ruby Walsh ended the day with a double as he took the 0-109 rated two and a half miles novice handicap chase on Eric McNamara’s Sir Harry Cash (5/1). The top weight cruised into contention facing up the last two fences and he knuckled down well under pressure to defeat Top Cat Henry. A significant on course move for It’s the Ice I Like (9/2-2/1) went astray as he had to settle for fifth.

“It’s a big help having Ruby on board and the horse jumped brilliantly for him,” declared McNamara whose charge carries the colours of Michael Hannon and James McNamara. “He’s a few pounds lower over fences than he is over hurdles and Ruby took his time off a good pace.”

Acting Stewards

N.B. Wachman, T. Hunt, P.F. Myerscough, J. Weld, M.F. O’Donoghue

Horse To Follow

UNCLE DANNY (J. Queally): On his first outing since winning a Punchestown Festival bumper this gelding ran a nice race to take third in the maiden hurdle won by Free Expression and he won’t have to wait long to win over timber.

Fine and ban

TRAINER Gillian Callaghan was hit with a €1,000 fine and Andrew Lynch was banned for seven days after the stewards held a running and riding inquiry into the performance of Mount Corkish Girl following her eighth place finish in the maiden won by Free Expression. Mount Corkish Girl was found to be coughing post race but the stewards still found that the trainer and rider were in breach of Rule 212 and the mare was suspended from racing for 60 days.

Walsh suspension

KATIE Walsh was given a five-day suspension after accidentally failing to weigh in on Tully East who finished third in the bumper. Tully East was disqualified from third.