Fleming opens account in style

Alan Fleming saddled his first winner since returning from England to train for Barry Connell as Gwencily Berbas took the Grade 2 Bambury Bookmakers Juvenile Hurdle in convincing fashion at Fairyhouse.

Bought by current connections after scoring at Auteuil last October, the son of Nickname was friendless in the market and sent off the outsider of three at 13/2.

A funereal early pace was increased as Adrian Heskin decided to go on after the first flight and, with 8/11 favourite Vercingetorix driven along and finding nothing after pecking on landing three out, Fleming's charge took control in the straight.

He was driven clear and went right away on the run-in to beat Lettre De Cachet by 11 lengths, with the odds-on favourite a further 23 lengths adrift.

Curragh-based Fleming said, "He's a lovely horse, a real nice horse. I said before the race that he hadn't an awful lot of work done and we rushed him a bit to get him here.

"We'll have to make a decision now in a week or ten days whether to go to Cheltenham or elsewhere. We'd very much like to go to Cheltenham (entered in Triumph Hurdle and Fred Winter), and we'll have to see.

"We were intending to sit upsides Gordon's horse but he wasn't keen to lead. He's a good genuine honest horse, and whatever he does over hurdles he's a chaser.

"I'm chuffed as that's my first National Hunt winner in Ireland. We have 15 to 20 in at the moment and a lot of young horses."

(GC & AM)