Naas Report Thyne Again jumped his way back into the Arkle picture with an extremely comfortable 21-length success in the Grade Woodlands Park 100 Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase. The Liam Burke trained seven-year-old was a disappointing fourth behind J?y Vole at Fairyhouse last time out but well and truly reversed that form on this occasion with 8/13 shot J?y Vole only managing to trail in third having never really travelled with her normal zest. Thyne Again took it up after the second last and soon asserted to land the spoils with Davy Russell doing the steering. Russell remarked, ?He did it well and he settled and jumped great and he is getting better with every run.? While the winning trainer was looking forward to a possible assault on the Arkle, ?He did that nicely and if the ground at Cheltenham was safe we will have to go to the Arkle but there will have to be a good cut in the ground. I won?t risk him as he will be a lovely horse for next year.? When asked about the manner of Thyne Again?s victory, Burke responded, ?I was very disappointed with him the last day and I certainly didn?t think the weight beat him. He didn?t jump good enough that day to be going for a race like an Arkle but he had a good experience today.? Burke concluded, ?It was rotten ground today but he jumped well and was always safe, he wants plenty of light at his fences and when he got that he was very good. He always promised to be a nice horse and I wouldn?t mind a few more like him.? ?The fences are there to be jumped,? was Oliver Brady?s initial reaction after Maralan had recorded a second Grade 2 success in seven days with similar fortune. The seven-year-old posed a threat approaching the last but was coming under pressure before his task was made comfortable when Schindlers Hunt, upsides at the time, unseated Roger Loughran at the last. It was a similar result a week ago when Clopf came to grief leaving Maralan to pick up the honours and the ever popular Oliver Brady afterwards revealed all roads lead to Cheltenham, ?I am very pleased as a I didn?t really expect him to win today but he jumps like a buck and he is a stone better left handed. I ran him here today to qualify him for Cheltenham and he is well qualified now. He will be some horse next year and I have already got my plan picked out but we will head for the Grand Annual in two weeks now in good form.? Coolcashin caused a 20/1 upset when landing the paddypower.com Johnstown Novice Hurdle over two-miles-and-four-furlongs for trainer Michael Bowe with Tom Doyle up. Adopting new hold up tactics the seven-year-old was settled in by Doyle before taking closer order on the turn into the straight and the winner responded to the urgings of his pilot to run on all the way to the line and score by five-and-a-half-lengths. Afterwards Bowe joked, ?He is one of the Bowe hold up horses!? The trainer who also bred and owns the winner then admitted to having no real future plan for the Taipan gelding. ?I have absolutely no idea where we will go next, I suppose we will look at Fairyhouse. I had him entered in Punchestown last week but I just knew he would love Naas and people were telling me I was mad to run him on the ratings but the horse was telling me different and the change of tactics certainly made a huge difference.? The W.A Osborne & Co Handicap Hurdle over three-miles turned into a battle of the Carberry brothers with Philip affording himself a wry smile having crossed the line on Limestream half-a-length in front of Paul aboard Royal Spring. John Carr trained the winner and afterwards he said he was delighted for Longford based owner Sean Powell who was tasting success for the first time. ?She has been hard to follow but we came here hopeful more than confident after her run here the last day. He will find another handicap for her now and there is nothing better than having your first winner and I am delighted for Sean.? There was a strong family connection to the paddypowertrader.com handicap hurdle where Edward O?Grady saddled Fen Game to hold off the late challenge of Take Your Mark by a length. Fen Game runs in the colours of the Easter Syndicate who is headed by Jed Kelly, O?Grady?s son-in-law. ?I am very pleased as he had a badly bruised foot a week ago and it was odds against he would run but thankfully it came together and the race worked out well for him. We will try and pick up another handicap and go chasing in the summer,? said O?Grady. Spitfire Sortie put in a game front running performance in the opener to hold off favourite Itsmylfie by four lengths for trainer James McAuley and jockey Mick Darcy. Noel Glynn?s decision to revert Gonebeyondrecall back to bumpers after a promising maiden hurdle debut paid dividends when he ran out a snug winner of the concluding paddypowercasino.com bumper providing 20-year-old conditional rider Keith Schous - a native of Co Clare and based with Glynn ? his first winner.
