The Big Cloud up and running over fences The Big Cloud made light of an absence of almost a year to make a winning start over fences in the Sean Kelly Naas Member Handicap Steeplechase over two miles. Sean O'Keeffe brought her to challenge long-time leader Duce Bigalow upon touching down after two out and the seven-year-old mare led narrowly in tackling the last. She stuck to her task along the run-in to prevail by three lengths at 9/1. Duce Bigalow had to settle for second at 11/2 and was almost four lengths in front of Love Like This (8/1). The Big Cloud doubled her career total having secured a handicap hurdle at Limerick in April 2024. Shane Crawley said: “She did her pelvis on Thyestes day in Gowran and has been off since. We had her well schooled on the Curragh and it’s worked out grand. “She’s a gutsy mare. She jumped well overall and it was a big ask in a handicap first time out. We were running on the same mark she has over hurdles, so there should be another day in her over hurdles. “Hopefully, she’s ok after this.” Crawley's last runner, Trishuli River, was also a winner at Dundalk on Friday evening. Additional reporting by Alan Magee
