A SEASON of seasons for Peter Fahey reached another new high as The Big Dog bagged his second major prize of the season in the Bar One Racing Troytown Handicap Chase to fuel thoughts of a Grand National assault in the spring.

On one of the great traditional days in the Irish National Hunt calendar The Big Dog (11/1) lined up in this €100,000 prize looking to follow up a win in October’s Munster National. An 8lb hike in the weights left The Big Dog conceding weight to all 17 of his rivals and this strapping nine-year-old proved more than equal to the task.