'Magic' Blake impresses under Meyler Following up on a recent Flat success at Leopardstown, which he was awarded in the stewards room, Blake impressively dismissed his 11 rivals in the second divide of the Tayto Group Maiden Hurdle. A runner-up on his sole previous start over flights at Cork in March, the Noel Meade-trained four-year-old was sent off at 85/40 this afternoon. A dual winner on the level in the UK when in the care of Peter Chapple-Hyam and bought by current connections for 125,000 pounds, the Zoffany bay raced mainly in second under Donagh Meyler. Improving to dispute the lead before two out, he soon gained an outright advantage and readily stretched clear approaching the last, which he jumped with aplomb, ultimately easing to a four-and-three-quarter length win. Returned at 33/1, Takenasred came through to fill the runner-up spot under JJ Slevin for Stuart Crawford, while the front-running Road Exile (6/5f) could only manage third, another half-a-length back. "He was magic!" Meade said of the Joe and Pat Sloan-owned victor. "He jumped so well, he (Meyler) said he jumped so well all the time he was jumping up there, and he was able to take him back so he was full of running. "When said 'go' to him, he absolutely exploded on him. "He's a big, tall, leggy horse who improved a lot from last spring. I know he was beaten in that race at Leopardstown, but he was stopped to a walk. Chris (Hayes) said he thought he would have won. "I suppose the Royal Bond is a possible for him or something like that. I don't know, we will see. I just think he is a leggy horse and I don't think he needs to get too much racing - let him develop. "He could be decent." Additional reporting by Michael Graham
