Celestial Making Waves For Maguire

Celestial Wave showed she will be a threat to Black Jack Ketchum and company if she gets her chance in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle when adding to her growing list of honours in the Alo Duffin Memorial Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran.

The seven-year-old mare, trained by former jockey Adrian Maguire, made all in customary fashion, partnered by Conor O'Dwyer for the first time.

She jumped as fluently as ever at the head of affairs, but appeared to be reaching the end of her tether with two furlongs to run as first Emotional Moment and then Studmaster and Our Ben moved into challenging positions.

However, despite wandering under pressure, she held on for a five-length win from Studmaster to land the odds as a heavily-backed 4-6 favourite.

VC Bet were suitably impressed and gave the winner an 8-1 quote (from 12-1) for the stayers' championship, while totesport left her unchanged at 10-1, although Maguire has repeatedly stated the ground would need to be on the soft side if she is to take her chance at the Festival in March.

Cashmans quote her at 16-1 but 7-1 ?with a run'.

Maguire said: 'Conor said she is as tough as you like and that she idled in front after the third-last.

'She ran left and right in the straight. Plus, that ground is like glue and no horse wants it that bad.

'I'll be watching television keenly on Saturday to see how Black Jack Ketchum gets on (in the Cleeve Hurdle).

'She's done us proud and is too good to be bringing to Cheltenham if the ground is fast.'

(C) PA Sport