King George aim for Lord Sam

There may just have been four runners in the Grade 3 Ellier Developments Novice Chase but there could hardly have been a more exciting finish with the quartet all jumping the second last within a length of each other.

But it was Lord Sam, trained in Devon by Victor Dartnall, who eventually prevailed by a head from Hi Cloy and he is now being aimed at the Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, for which he earned an 8/1 quote with Cashmans.

'He?s a class horse and I?m delighted with that,' said Dartnall. 'He would have preferred three miles but he had been quick enough over two and a half when he won at Kempton.'

Lord Sam had not run since January and had missed Cheltenham and Aintree due to an infection so Dartnall had been keen to come to Punchestown.

'I wanted to give him another run before we put him away and it?s only in the last fortnight that he?s told us he?s back. He just needed more practice and nearly overjumped the third - he was giving the fences a bit of air.

'We must aim at the big boys now so the King George will be the target - there?s nowhere else to go really.

'I have only 18 horses and am very lucky that among them I have him and another really good one in Mount Clerigo, who is bred on the same lines.'

Amateur Jeremy Cash, cousin of Brave Inca?s rider Barry Cash, began the Festival with a 33/1 surprise when beating 7/4 favourite Takagi by a length in the opening Kildare Hunt Club Chase aboard Andrewjames for trainer Peter McCreery.

'He came here on Good Friday to school over the banks course and went well so it wasn?t such a great surprise,' said McCreery of his winner, who paid around 90/1 on the Tote.

'If he gets to the front too soon he stops and Jeremy is a real horseman. He has a yard of his own and would be more into hunting and showjumping but spent some time with Tom Taaffe and rides out for us a couple of days a week.'

The winner, who joined McCreery after a spell with Paul Nicholls in England, is set to make hay while the sun shines and will reappear in Thursday?s Quins Of Baltinglass Chase for the La Touche Cup.

'He?d never contested one of these banks races before but if he?s alive and well on Thursday morning he?ll be out again,' added McCreery.

Six go to post in tomorrow?s feature Grade 1 Punchestown Heineken Gold Cup at 3.50pm including First Gold, who 12 months ago became the first French-trained winner at the Irish National Hunt Festival when landing this famous event.

The totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup third Harbour Pilot, Rince Ri, Royal & SunAlliance Chase hero Rule Supreme and Michael Hourigan?s stable star Beef Or Salmon complete the big-race line up.