CHELTENHAM Festival contender State Man was unquestionably the class act of this fixture as he bounced back from a fall on his Irish debut to bolt up in the two-mile maiden hurdle which looks to have set him for a marked step up in class later this season.

A runner-up on his only start in France, when he chased home the now Irish-based Busselton, the Marie Donnelly-owned State Man was odds-on to defy a 588-day absence in the opening race of Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival. However, he came down at the second last when holding every chance.

The Willie Mullins-trained son of Doctor Dino was clearly none the worse for that experience as he produced a professional and polished display from the front under Richie Deegan.

Plains Indian briefly threatened to give the 1/7 favourite a race after two out but State Man responded quickly to his rider’s promptings to surge away again and win as he liked.

“He did it very easily and he picked up very well. He jumped well today and was foot perfect everywhere. He just cantered around and he will improve from this,” said Deegan who won a Grade 1 bumper on the Mullins-trained Tornado Flyer back in 2018.

As expected Mullins also landed the BetVictor-sponsored mares’ maiden hurdle but it was Mi Lighthouse (7/2) and Kieran Callaghan who prevailed after their odds-on stablemate La Prima Donna exited at the second last.

Cherish

This was a victory to cherish for Callaghan who was partnering the second winner of his career from just his third ride as a conditional as Mi Lighthouse profited from her stablemate’s misfortune.

The two Mullins mares had the race to themselves coming to the second last and the winner had just moved upsides the strong-travelling market leader who jumped the obstacle perfectly but came down a couple of strides afterwards.

This left the Four Mile House Partnership-owned mare to post a 14-length victory over Our Miss Power.

Callaghan turned conditional three weeks ago and has been based with the champion trainer for two and a half years.

Amateur Adam Feeney (22) bagged his first success on the track as Black Bamboo (9/4) landed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Auction (Pro/Am) Flat Race to build on an excellent debut third at the Punchestown Festival last April.

Travelled with ease

John Joseph Murphy’s charge was conspicuous by the ease with which he travelled through the race on his first start for 280 days and when he had to knuckle down under pressure in the straight, he did so in tenacious fashion to edge out the 150/1 outsider Alpesh Amin.

The winner was picked up for just €14,000 as a three-year-old in August 2020.

“He was tough there as the ground was a bit sticky for him but his class got him through. We wouldn’t be afraid to go for a bigger race with him and will think about an entry for Cheltenham,” remarked the trainer’s son George.

A fine season continues for Tyner

ROBERT Tyner’s fine season reached a new high at this fixture as stable stalwart Spare Brakes notched up the fifth success of his 34-race career in the BetVictor-sponsored claiming hurdle over two miles and five furlongs.

Without a win in just under two years, the Shane O’Callaghan-ridden 12-year-old was sent off the 2/1 favourite and he showed a fine attitude to make it 15 victories for the season for his trainer.

Spare Brakes enjoyed a smooth run through on the inner to move to the head of the field turning for home and he battled on well to contain the 40/1 shot Sight Nor Seen by a head. Tyner trains the winner for his wife Mary.

Less than a year after making his racecourse debut, the Eugene O’Sullivan-trained Earths Furies (3/1) notched up the second success of his career in the first division of the 80-102 rated handicap hurdle over two miles, five furlongs.

The Alurie O’Sullivan-owned gelding won over fences here at the Christmas Festival and looked quite at home as he switched back to hurdles for the first time in nine starts.

Jordan Canavan was again on board the son of Dylan Thomas who improved to strike the front approaching two out and Earths Furies sustained his effort in willing fashion to hold off Half Shot by a length and three-parts. The winner is now likely to return to chasing.

Nolan rocks’ on to chase

a best ever season tally

PAUL Nolan has been enjoying a fine season and after the victory of Rock Of Tuskar (6/1) in the second division of the 80-102 rated handicap hurdle over two miles and five furlongs, the trainer needs just two more winners between now and the end of the campaign to post his best tally for 11 years.

The victorious six-year-old, who was making it 23 winners for the season for Nolan, stole into a clear lead for Richie Deegan approaching the straight.

He maintained a useful advantage to defeat the recent Punchestown winner Feyan by just under three lengths, with the very well-backed reserve and favourite Sweet Will having to settle for third.

A winner at Kilbeggan during the summer, Rock Of Tuskar was sporting cheekpieces for the first time, and he is owned by the Cross Of Kilrane Syndicate. This victory kicked off a double of Deegan who went on to score aboard the impressive State Man.

Jordan Gainford got amongst the winners when Springfield Lodge (13/2) added the first division of the 80-95 rated two-mile handicap hurdle to her two chasing victories from last season.

The nine-year-old mare, who is trained by Eoghan O’Grady for the Falcon Four Syndicate, did battle with Shean Glory for most of the straight and pulled out plenty on the run-in to carry the day by a length.

In the other division of that handicap hurdle Jordan Gainford made it a double as he picked up a chance winner on Derridae (10/1) whose intended jockey Jack Foley was stood down after an earlier fall from La Prima Donna.

A first winner for trainer Moses McCabe in two and a half years, the Michael Hanrahan-owned mare relished in helping to force the pace and she brushed aside the strong-travelling Fair Minded before the last en route to a four-length success over Danegeld.