Dun Deal For Martin

Dun Doire continued his remarkable improvement with a dramatic victory in the William Hill Trophy on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Tony Martin's charge started his winning run at Wetherby in November off a mark of 79 but his sixth win on the bounce off a 50lb higher rating appeared unlikely as he raced towards the rear of the field.

He still only had three stragglers behind at the top of the hill with three to jump and was 20 lengths adrift of the leaders.

But Ruby Walsh has few peers under such circumstances and he kept persevering on the 7-1 shot. Dun Doire responded with a rare finishing kick to collar Nicky Henderson's duo Juveigneur (16-1) and Irish Hussar (66-1) halfway up the run-in to land the spoils by two lengths and one and a quarter.

Model Son 14-1 was fourth.

'The bit of rain we got made all the difference,' said Martin, whose previous Festival winner came with Xenophon in the Coral Cup three years ago.

'He has serious stamina and he does lack a bit of speed but the further he goes the better he is.

'It's everything to win at Cheltenham ? it's like Wembley for the soccer players, it's magic. We were just lucky enough to have a horse good enough to aim for Cheltenham.'

Explaining the exaggerated waiting tactics, Martin said: 'He's just too slow to ride him any other way. If we raced him up there he wouldn't have got home with a puncture and it would have been good night for him.

'The original plan was the four-miler but after he won the Thyestes we decided to come here. He's an old-fashioned horse and the softer the ground he can gallop all day.'

Dun Doire is unlikely to get a run in this year's John Smith's Grand National but the Aintree showpiece will be his target next season, for which William Hill quote him at 33-1.

Martin added: 'He's entered in the Irish National and the Betfred but it's too early to say ? the ground might be too hard for him at Fairyhouse. We'll just give him a fortnight and see how he is.

'His progress has just been down to getting the trip and the ground right for him. In his early days he wasn't strong enough to gallop but he has just really started to progress.

'Hopefully fingers crossed he'll go for the Grand National next year ? that's the road we want to be going down.'

Walsh, who was completing a 55-1 double having won the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on Noland and is 4-9 with totesport to be top jockey at the meeting

The second-last was cordoned off as paramedics attended to Andrew Thornton, who took a heavy fall when A Glass In Thyne came down on the first circuit.

The jockey was stretchered off the course and he had an injury to his left forearm and was due to get an X-ray on his way home.

Native Jack gave the Irish their third winner of the day in the Sporting Index Handicap Chase over the cross-country course to set up the chance of a 50,000 windfall.

The bonus is up for grabs if Philip Rothwell's 12-year-old goes on to lift the Blue Square La Touche Cup at the Punchestown Festival where he could cross swords with today's second, Spot Thedifference.

For a while it looked as though the latter was going to repeat last year's success but Native Jack, the 7-2 joint-favourite, found the better turn of foot for Davy Russell from the final fence.

The winner scored by two lengths, with Buailtes And Fadas third.

Rothwell said: 'I was delighted with how he jumped and this was always the plan. With a bit of luck we will now go for the La Touche Cup and hopefully aim for the bonus.

'He's entered in the Kim Muir but won't run ? I only put him in there in case something went wrong today.'

Enda Bolger is now targeting a rematch for Spot Thedifference.

He said: 'He's fresh and well. He travelled well through the race and he now goes for the La Touche Cup.'

Shamayoun gave Paddy Brennan his first Festival winner when holding Walsh's mount Artist's Muse in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle.

Brennan kicked for home at the top of the hill on Charles Egerton's runner and had the rest of the field at full stretch.

Walsh chased Shamayoun hard but could never get in a blow as the 40-1 shot went on to win by two and a half lengths and send the bookies home happy after they had been getting the worst of the exchanges.

Patman Du Charmil was a similar distance away third, with Gardasee fourth.

Egerton said: 'He's a very nice horse but got beat on his first couple of runs.

'The ground was against him at Folkestone the first time but I don't know what happened the next time at Hereford.

'We put the blinkers on him today and they have made a difference as they helped him focus.

'I don't know where we'll go next but Aintree is a possibility.'

(C) PA Sport