Hiddenvalley Lake made a successful return to the smaller obstacles in the William Hill Boyne Hurdle at Navan.
Henry de Bromhead's chestnut had a good reputation as a novice hurdler but did not quite deliver at the highest level when ninth in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham last March.
He started out over fences this time around and contested a beginners chase at this venue in December, where he fell three from home.
Subsequently switched back to hurdling, the seven-year-old always looked happy in the Grade Two event, as he travelled well under Darragh O’Keeffe in the absence of the suspended Rachael Blackmore.
Over the penultimate flight, he already looked the winner and from there he only strengthened his position to triumph by three and a quarter lengths as the 3-1 favourite.
Hiddenvalley Lake runs out a good winner of the @williamhillire Boyne Hurdle, hitting the line well to land Grade 2 honours for Darragh O'Keeffe, @HenrydeBromhead and Robcour pic.twitter.com/6EUC8QUJ26
— Navan Racecourse (@NavanRacecourse) February 11, 2024
Robbie Power, racing manager to owners Robour, said: "It was a good performance. The plan was obviously to go chasing with him this year and he fell here in a beginners chase before Christmas.
"It took him a little bit of time to recover after that, and it was getting a bit late in the season, so we thought we'd come back over hurdles and then probably go chasing next season.
"He’s done plenty of schooling back over hurdles and Henry’s done a lot of work with him. He’s a very good jumper of a fence and was just unfortunate the last day.
"He loves heavy ground and Darragh said the further he went, the better he jumped. When they stepped on the pace, he jumped better up the straight.
"We knew he’d stay well over that trip and that ground probably suited him as well. It’s great to get that and we’ll see where we go next.
"He stays three miles as well and we’ll have a look at all the big festivals coming up and see what the options are.
"He’s a fresh horse, he’s only had the two runs and that’s his first completed run this season."
Charles Byrne's Blazing Khal won the Boyne Hurdle last season before injury halted his campaign in the spring, and the bay returned to action to contest the same race again.
This time, he was pulled up two fences from home by rider Philip Byrnes and was reported to be showing some abnormalities in the post-race veterinary check.
"He’s not right, I think he has a fibrillating heart," said Byrnes.
"We’ve had a bad rocky road with him, but we’ll see."
American Mike came out on top after a good battle with Nick Rockett in the William Hill Ten Up Novice Chase.
Gordon Elliott's gelding won on his seasonal debut at the track in November, making a successful start to his chasing career over a lesser trip of two miles and four furlongs.
His next outing was in the Grade One Faugheen Chase, where he came home fourth of five runners when 25 lengths behind Gaelic Warrior at Limerick.
Stepped up to three miles at Navan, the bay was a 7-2 chance under Jack Kennedy and travelled well throughout, jumping soundly on the whole and finding himself in the lead approaching the last.
From there, he seemed to dither slightly and it appeared that Willie Mullins’ Nick Rockett might pass him, but as the two locked horns approaching the line, it was American Mike who eventually pulled away to win by a length and a quarter.
As a result of the victory, he was shortened for the Turners Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.
American Mike has the answers in the @williamhillire Ten Up Novice Chase, landing our Grade 2 prize for @gelliott_racing, @jackkennedy15 and Bective Stud 🥇 pic.twitter.com/RFhGKkPM5g
— Navan Racecourse (@NavanRacecourse) February 11, 2024
"To be honest, he’s probably one of the horses that makes me scratch my head more than any other. He keeps disappointing me and then he comes back with a good one again," said Elliott.
"He has obviously got a big engine on his day, when he’s right, but he’s not easy to train. I thought Jack gave him a great ride.
"I don’t know what I’m doing or where I’m going with him, he’s a horse that baffles me.
"We’ve just tipped away with him steady at home and haven’t overworked him, as he was very fit going to Christmas but just didn’t get home.
"He’s in a few of the novice chases at Cheltenham and he could go for an Irish National. I don’t know what I’m going to do with him, to be honest."
Brighterdaysahead looks set to head to the Dawn Run Mares' Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham with high hopes after winning the Apple's Jade Mares Novice Hurdle.
The Gordon Elliott-trained five-year-old came into the race unbeaten in four starts, having taken two bumpers and a couple of hurdle contests – latterly the Grade Three Feathard Lady Mares Novice Hurdle at Down Royal in November.
She was the 1-3 favourite when stepping up in trip for this Listed heat over two miles and five furlongs, a significant increase from her previous outings at two miles or two miles and a furlong.
The extra distance clearly did not hinder her at all, however, as she travelled and jumped with ease throughout and was left to stroll home to a 12-length success under Jack Kennedy.
"She’s a good mare, a proper mare. She is very, very good, I don’t say that about too many," said Elliott.
"Jack said he couldn’t get a lead any longer on her and he said she wasn’t doing a stroke in front.
"She’ll come on from it too, as we missed a little bit of time with her – nothing serious, just niggly things.
"She’s got a pedigree to be nice and her future is in front of her. She looks like a chaser.
"I’d say at the moment she doesn’t want that far, she’s got a bit of boot for a big mare, but we had nothing else to run her in because I missed her last engagement and I didn’t want to go to England with her."
Group One winner Helvic Dream got off the mark under the National Hunt code in the Navan Ford & Opel Maiden Hurdle.
Noel Meade's seven-year-old started out over timber this season following a successful Flat career that saw him win the Tattersalls Gold Cup from Broome in 2021.
He was also a Group Three winner, with many placed runs in good quality events on the level on his CV as well, but his first two attempts over obstacles ended in defeat earlier in the term.
The gelding was an 11-2 chance under Sam Ewing and was towards the rear of the leading group of six horses when turning for home, having travelled in mid-division for much of the race.
He met the last wrong and landed in a heap but was able to regain his momentum in impressive style to pick off the horses ahead of him and prevail by half a length.
Meade does not have any big hurdling plans for the gelding yet and aims to give him more experience in the discipline before a Flat campaign in the summer.
He said: "He’s still novicey for anything big, so I would have thought we’ll try and get another run into him somewhere and then tip along. He will go back on the Flat again this year.
"I said the other day that if he was in a Group race, I’d fancy him because he’s that well in himself."
Cantico made light work of the William Hill Bet10Get5 On Irish Racing INH Flat Race for Willie Mullins and his son Patrick.
The five-year-old won his sole point to point start and was third on his bumper debut when contesting a Leopardstown event at Christmas.
He was the favourite on that occasion and headed the market again at Navan, starting at 4-11 and securing a six-length victory in the yellow and brown silks also worn by Galopin Des Champs.
"We were disappointed to get beaten at Christmas and I think he improved from it," said Patrick Mullins.
"He could be a horse for nicer ground, he shows more gears at home than he has on the track and maybe that's just the soft ground blunting his speed.
"We hope that he’s even better than the bare result there, even though he was very good.
"He was on his own there as well and he is a raw horse, he has been that way since we started, and I think he’ll improve for racing."
