A RESURGENT Dounikos got back to the form that made him a leading fancy for last year’s RSA Chase as he claimed the €100,000 Boyle-Sports Grand National Trial Handicap Chase to earn his place on Gordon Elliott’s formidable team for some major end of season prizes.

A second consecutive winner of this race for Elliott, Dounikos led home a one-two-three for Gigginstown House Stud whose six-strong challenge ensured that there was each-way betting on the first four places here.

Dounikos was both an unlucky and excellent fourth behind Monalee in the Flogas Novice Chase just over a year ago, but he failed to complete in four of his next six races. Those efforts left a good deal to be desired, but buried in among them was also a good seventh in the Paddy Power at Christmas and that run suggested all wasn’t lost for the 12/1 chance.

In addition, he relished every yard of this three-and-a-half-mile trip as he gamely answered Davy Russell’s every call from the third last fence. Wishmoor made a bold bid from the front, but coming to the last loomed the Elliott-trained General Principle and Dounikos were both bearing down. The latter was especially strong on the run-in as he forged clear to score by four and a quarter lengths.

Wishmoor finished a fine second with General Principle a further half-length back in third.

“He did run well in the Paddy Power, but when he fell in the Thyestes last time he was just never happy. For a big horse I’d say that he does appreciate decent ground,” said Elliott.

“He has a high enough rating and he wasn’t a bad novice last season and he’s come back to that form. We’ll look at either the English or Irish National for him now.”

In an indication that he could field a multifaceted challenge for this year’s Grand National, the trainer added: “I thought that General Principle ran well and I’d say he might be one for Aintree. The weights for Aintree are out this week so we will see but I’d be planning to run plenty in the race this year.”

IMPRESSIVE

Henry de Bromhead and owner Kenny Alexander have an enviable dilemma facing them for Cheltenham next month after the lightly raced Sinoria made it two wins from three starts in the Listed I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Novice Hurdle.

The same connections’ Honeysuckle staked a strong claim for the mares’ novice hurdle at Cheltenham at Fairyhouse last month and Sinoria now looks an equally formidable contender for that race.

Sinoria (6/1), who had previously won at Down Royal maiden on her second racecourse outing, strode purposefully to the head of the field at the second last flight and she rallied splendidly for Rachael Blackmore in the straight after being headed by Chosen Mate.

The daughter of Oscar fought her way back to the front run in to carry the day by three-parts of a length, and the front pair finished 10 lengths clear of the remainder.

“She was very brave there and she’s another really nice mare,” reflected de Bromhead. “We’ll definitely have to look at the mares’ novice hurdle at Cheltenham, and we have Honeysuckle for that too. Both of them have to get there so we’ll see but maybe an option would be to let one of them take on the geldings.”

Josies Orders warmed up for a trip to Cheltenham with a typically assured display in the P.P. Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase. A third consecutive winner of this race for Enda Bolger, the J.P. McManus-owned gelding was sure-footed at all stages for Mark Walsh, as one would expect from one of the most proficient cross country performers around.

The 5/4 favourite, who was recording his third course-and-distance triumph, was always doing enough in the closing stages to hold Hurricane Darwin, who is also developing into a useful performer in this sphere.

“We were a bit worried coming here as we were taking on the likes of Ballycasey and a few new faces but he’s done it well and he’ll head to Cheltenham now,” commented Bolger.

“It was a good test and the timing was right as regards Cheltenham and I’m chuffed to bits to win a race named in honour of my old boss, P.P.”

LIKABLE DISPLAY

Riders Onthe Storm (2/1) could be a horse to watch out for in a quality handicap before the end of the season as he turned in a likeable display in the Richard Maher Memorial Rated Novice Chase.

The Tom Taaffe-trained gelding ran well last time to finish third in a Limerick Grade 1 won by Hardline, and this race represented a drop in class although this was quite a smart race for the grade.

The son of Scorpion, who is owned by Linda Shanahan and Sue Magnier, travelled and jumped well for Bryan Cooper and opened up a decent lead shortly after the second last.

A good jump at the final fence looked to make sure of victory but the favourite, Impact Factor, stuck to his task to get back to within a length and a quarter at the line.

“That was a good performance. We went a strong gallop and it rode a good race. He was entitled to do that on his run at Limerick,” declared Cooper.

“I’d like the way he did that and I thought he won better than the margin of victory would suggest.”

Take Revenge (4/1) rounded off a good weekend for Martin Brassil and the Mulryan family as he bagged the two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle where he followed-up a good second to Tornado Flyer over this course and distance two months previously.

The Sean Mulryan-owned son of Gold Well produced a nice display from the front under Donie McInerney and found plenty under pressure in the straight to fend off the effort of Discordantly.

The latter got almost upsides on the run-in, but an unyielding Take Revenge found plenty to pull away and prevail by two and a half lengths.

“I was delighted with his run here the last day and we said we’d come back to where he’d run well before,” reflected Brassil, whose string are in excellent heart.

“He’s a very straightforward, uncomplicated horse and he might just prefer the ground a little easier. Chasing will be his game and he will do that in the autumn.”

EXCITING PROSPECT

James Motherway has plenty to look forward to with Dinny Lacey (7/1) who progressed from a debut third to the exciting Cobbler’s Way at Limerick over Christmas with an ultra-game success in the bumper.

The Presenting five-year-old was going nicely for Declan Lavery when he moved to the head of the field at the entrance to the straight but he soon had to dig deep to fend off the persistent Fire Away and, to his credit, he fought all the way to the line to prevail by half a length. The winner carries the colours of Brian Acheson’s Robcour.

“I loved the way he found plenty when he came off the bridle,” reflected Motherway. “It’s possible he could run again this season but we’ll let the dust settle for a month or six weeks and see then. He’s a big stamp of a horse and hopefully a chaser in the making.”

After catching the eye on a couple of her recent outings, the Denis Hogan-trained and ridden Lady Writer (7/1) got off the mark on her seventh racecourse outing in the David Trundley Artist At Punchestown Handicap Hurdle over three miles.

The Give It A Try Syndicate-owned mare came from well back to deliver her challenge at the final flight and she stayed on well to defeat the top-weight Therellalwaysbeone by a length and a quarter.

“She hangs left so we tried a different bit on her today and she still went left but not as severe as before. She won a point on heavy ground this time last year and she hasn’t got her ground this season but she copes with better ground,” commented Hogan.

HORSE TO FOLLOW

CHOSEN MATE

(G. Elliott): He met with defeat when favourite for the novice hurdle but ran a pleasing race on just the second outing of his career. A good novice hurdle could easily come his way before the end of the season.

ACTING STEWARDS

J. Weld, M. Cosgrove, J. Rearden, W. Flood, P.D. Matthews