Festival is next test for Brain Power

BRAIN POWER threw his hat into the ring for the St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after his fourth win of the season in the Cosy Roof open.

Th e 12-y ear-old Brain Power had recorded his first victory since a career highlight win in the 2019 American National when taking this race 12 months ago and he again proved a class ab ove his pointing rivals by comfortably accounting for an improved Samurai Cracker by two and a half lengths

“I was always travelling easy and I only had to ask him to extend coming into the home straight,” Dara McGill said.

“That’s four he’s won this season and he’s up there with the top open horses. We could no w lo ok at a ti lt at the Cheltenham Foxhunters.”

The victory of Brain Power was a second success on the card for Warren Ewing and McGill, as they had combined with newcomer Bective Abbey to land the Dennison JCB fiveyear-old geldings’ maiden.

The Michael Shanahan-bred son of Mahler was always to the fore alongside Fralimonti Bilbery, but as that rival faded

Star performance

Brain Power became the second horse on the four-winner mark for the season with an easy victory in the feature race tamely on the run-in it was left to McGill’s elder brother Oran on Colin McKeever’s Ballyfinn to fill the runner-up spot However, they were no match for Bective Abbey, who won as he pleased by five lengths “We’ve always liked him but we wanted to give him a bit of time,” McGill said. “He was very tough there and he did it nicely. I’d say he’ll go straight to the sales now and will make a lovely prospect.”

Ballyfinn’s owner Wilson Dennison had better fortune in the FS Herron winners-ofth re e whe n hi s daughter Caroline McCaldin sent out Gorthill to land his second success of the season.

An easy maiden winner at Moira in October, the sevenyear-old Rail Link gelding got within six lengths of David Christie’s Ultimate Optimist at Loughanmore in the autumn.

With that form line having been advertised significantly by the success of his Loughanmore conqueror in a Limerick hu nt er chas e, he prov ed popular in the betting and duly delivered a per f or ma nce justifying his position at the head of the market

Despite being eased by Noel McParlan on the run to the line he still proved three lengths too good for the Loughbrickland winner Grain De Folie

The same combination of McParlan, McCaldin and Dennison had high hopes of a double when Slievehill, having his first start for McCaldin’s yard, was in the shake-up for the G Curran & Co older ge ldin gs ’ ma iden un til blundering at the final fence

That error paved the way for the longtime leader U Asking Me to provide Tipperary rider

Stonehall At Cragmore Sunday

WINGED LEADER did not disappoint when making his return to action as David Christie’s charge ran out a battling wi nner of the St oneh all Harriers & ML O’Shaughnessy MH Memorial open

The second favourite for the St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase at Cheltenham had not been seen since his defeat to Billaway at last year’s festival.

De spi te be in g st ro ng ly pressed by northern raider Le Malin and the three-time open winner Er Dancer, Winged Leader fought his way to a narrow victor y to remain unbeaten in points since 2019.

“It took a while to get him bac k after Che lte nh am,” Christie said. “He got a knock and two months ago it looked

Hannah Phillips with her first success of the season.

“He jumped off really well and travelled like a dream,” Phillips said. “I gave him little fills where I needed too, but he just kept going and kept finding for me I ride him out most days and it’s a great team we have It’s great to get an opportunity like this from Tom Keating; it’s a brilliant buzz.”

Sue O’Gorman has busy days ahead as she builds up to Sunday’s Wexford Foxhounds fixture at Ballinaboola for which she is the point-to-point secretary, but she enjoyed a second career success as a handler when Speranza Wilde took the Kingsfield Stud fiveyear-old mares’ maiden.

The daughter of Ask was bred by O’Gorman out of the