BELOW the group and listed level, there have been some notable handicapping performances and risers in the ratings.

John Nallen’s Cristal Clere had been busy at Dundalk through the winter, running eight times between October and March, but looked better than ever on heavy ground at Leopardstown with two wins in four days, going up 11lb in the weights for those.

His jockey Sean Bowen commented after the second of those that he ‘was feeling the surface at Dundalk’ on his last run there so he might be one that could struggle on faster ground before getting back on the up on slower going.

Another supposed Dundalk horse, Tawaazon trained by James McAuley, has been a revelation back on turf this spring, winning at both Bellewstown and Navan and going up 23lb in the turf ratings, only narrowly beaten when up in grade at the same track last Saturday.

Interesting

Perhaps most interesting of all is Barry Fitzgerald’s Brave Troop. He joined the yard from John McConnell last autumn and won his first flat start for his new trainer before going hurdling after the new year.

There were degrees of promise in those runs but the flat looks his thing, as he has won both his starts back on the level this year.

The first of those was ‘only’ a 47-70 at Navan but he won with plenty in hand and runner-up Derry Lad has since won a Sunday Series race at Hamilton and he followed up by six lengths and in a fast time at Gowran.

It is possible he is for sale, as that is the MO of his yard, but he is unlikely to be done with off a new mark of 85 and looks a premier handicap horse.

Eyecatchers to put in notebook from Clonmel handicap hurdle

CLONMEL hosted a seven hurdle/one bumper card the Thursday before last, and the winner of the sole bumper Old Ground was the most interesting runner on the card, being a home-bred half-sister to Colreevy for the Flynn family in Dungarvan.

By the time that eighth race came around, the track had taken a few showers while there had also been a number of big-field races so the inner of the course looked quite hard work and runners that went that way around may be better than the form.

Old Ground herself went wide throughout but the fourth from that race, Noble Annys, barely left the inside rail and might be worth rating clear second best. She was in first-time cheekpieces for her owner-trainer and showed plenty of pace while some better ground around a tight track that doesn’t emphasis stamina may be her thing, given she is by Excelebration.

Competitive

The previous handicap hurdle for horses rated 80-109 looked competitive for the grade with quite a few fancied ones in the field but four of the first five home were on the outer from early on with the sole exception, the runner-up Dancing Jeremy, making his way there after halfway.

Perhaps two that showed up well on the unfavoured inside are worth another chance in the circumstances. Hans Gruber finished 10th in the end but made the running until the turn-in and was entitled to need this outing, his first in 124 days after.

Stilyker, the 13th horse home, lasted a bit longer than Hans Gruber, still travelling okay to the second last where he made a mistake, but his rider soon accepted defeat and was also coming off a break.

With a mark of 103, he must be about the lowest-rated horse in training with Willie Mullins.

But it is interesting that he is persisting with him and a drop back to two miles should suit given how keenly he went here.