HIS progress from earlier in the season might have been checked somewhat with an unplaced run here in late November but Autumn Evening showed that he is sustaining his improvement into the winter with a likeable success in the two-mile conditions hurdle.

In quite an interesting five-runner affair, the Jessica Harrington inmate was sent off at 7/2 under Sean O’Keeffe and he made short work of these rivals.

In a steadily run event, all five of the runners were in contention turning for home but Autumn Evening turned this into a one-sided affair from two out. He soon cruised into a clear lead and kept on nicely in the closing stages to finish two and three-quarter lengths ahead of the favourite, Indigo Breeze, who didn’t help his cause with a mistake at the second last.

“He had a fall in Naas a couple of runs ago and it knocked his confidence a bit. He was novicey in a big handicap here last time,” reported the trainer’s daughter Kate. “He’ll probably go for the Ladbrokes Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival now.”

Nolan’s Present

Sean O’Keeffe then added to his haul aboard Paul Nolan’s Daily Present (9/4) in the two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle.

A winning pointer who shaped up nicely on his racecourse debut when chasing home Hawai Game in a Naas maiden hurdle last month, this Mahler gelding once again showed that he has a nice future.

When the favourite Amirite blundered and dropped away three out, Daily Present was left with Prevaricate to worry about but he dealt with that rival in the straight to finish with eight and a half lengths to spare. This five-year-old carries the colours of Rory Kelleher and he was pushing his trainer on to the 20-winner mark for the season.

“In time a step-up to three miles will help him but he’s a light-framed horse so we won’t run him too much this season,” commented Nolan.

The application of first-time blinkers worked the oracle for the eight-year-old mare Memory Of Youth (12/1) in the first division of the 80-95 rated handicap hurdle over two and a half miles.

Memory’s blinkers

Sean Flanagan’s mount lined up as a 16 race maiden but it was all change here as she charged into an ever-growing lead before two out and she reached the line nine lengths ahead of Rightful Mind.

Sneezy Foster trains the mare for the Well Lads Syndicate.

Innovated could be of interest

A DECIDEDLY low-key Saturday card played host to several interesting maiden hurdles and the first of those, over two miles, produced a nice winner in Henry de Bromhead’s Innovated (4/1).

The Gigginstown House Stud-owned seven-year-old was making just the third appearance and Rachael Blackmore sent him to the front after just a couple of hurdles. Innovated never relinquished the lead and despite leaving his hind legs behind him at the last hurdle he had enough in reserve to contain the favourite Whowonthetoss who was fourth to Sir Gerhard in a Leopardstown maiden last time.

Design on top

The trainer also supplied the evens favourite, Secret She Keeps, in what looked a reasonable mares’ maiden hurdle but she could only manage seventh behind My Design (7/2).

Under the care of Cappoquin-based Shane O’Brien, this Fiona O’Connor-owned mare’s most recent effort yielded a third to Minella Cocooner at Navan last month.

Ian Power made all the running on the daughter of Scorpion who fought off the persistent pair of Our Miss Power and Beth Horan in the straight before then holding the late effort of Hauturiere by three-quarters of a length. The latter looked unlucky as a couple of late mistakes didn’t help her and pshe didn’t enjoy the clearest of runs either.

Lanes’s National

Liam Lennon has the Ulster National in mind for School Lane (6/1) who maintained his recent progression in the 0-116 rated handicap chase over two miles, five furlongs.

Game effort

A winner of two point-to-points and a Down Royal handicap chase on his last three outings, the nine-year-old produced a game effort under Sam Ewing.

The jockey got his mount into a closing second nearing the last and late on the run-in School Lane cut down the game front-runner Spare Brakes before reaching the line half a length clear of the staying-on Conquredalofeurope.

The winner just appears to be coming into his own having only registered his first track success last month.

J.J. SLEVIN bookended the card with winners and he struck first for the Stuart Crawford yard as Now Where Or When bagged the two-miles beginners’ chase for horses rated 116 or less over hurdles.

Back at the track that provided the Margaret McCrudden-owned and -bred gelding with his sole previous success last April, Now Where Or When was nicely placed on the heels of the leaders turning for home. J.J. Slevin eventually produced the 7/2 shot to lead before the final fence and the pair went on to score by two lengths.

Big Damsel

Slevin’s brace was completed aboard the well-backed Garrett Power inmate Greenhill Damsel in the second division of the 80-95 rated two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle.

After showing signs of promise in a Limerick handicap won by Womalko, the Killtippford Syndicate-owned mare was backed from as big as 22/1 into 9/1 over the course of the day. Greenhill Damsel seemed sure to be picked off by the strong-travelling favourite Arctic Ambition off the last bend but she kept pulling out more to remain in front and the market leader could make no further impression on the run in, going down by four and a quarter lengths.

“The owners are a really nice bunch of people and this is a real nice mare. She went close in a bumper earlier in the season and just needed time, she’s close to 17hh,” remarked Power.