Dovaly can handle the weight

After Michael O'Brien's luck had taken a change for the better with wins last week for Chauncy Lane and Sawa-Id, he admitted his horses had not been running well but that no obvious explanation was forthcoming. "Perhaps they were waiting for the sun," he said.

Another horse from the stable who, although not successful, still offered evidence of an imminent victory was Dovaly, who made a late sprint to snatch third place to the previously impressive Punchestown winner As Royal.

That was only the eighth run of his career over hurdles and there should be further improvement to come. His maximum winning distance to date has been two miles four furlongs, but the gusto with which he tackled the final uphill climb at Naas was an indication that this evening's three miles in the Baltrasna Handicap Hurdle should be within his compass.

Likewise, while Dovaly he has top weight of 12 st, this was also the situation at Naas.

The brightest National Hunt star of the future on show here is almost certainly Siberian Gale. Paddy Mullins always had a high opinion of him as a bumpers horse.

While he was a beaten favourite in the £20,000 Grade I bumper at Punchestown, which was won by the English challenger King's Road, his cause there was not assisted in that his partner could not exercise the 7 lb claim to which he would have been entitled in other bumpers races.

He led below the distance and Mullins, satisfied that he was well in himself after the race, brought him to Fairyhouse nine days later to make his hurdles debut. Here, too, it was not a run-of-the-mill maiden event, but rather a smart winners' race that was the target.

Between the last two flights Siberian Gale was cantering over his rivals, and, while he made a mistake when challenging, he was still able to produce a renewed run on the flat to beat Micko's Dream by two lengths. One will have to be prepared to lay good odds on in the Porterstown Novice Hurdle, but defeat seems unlikely.

If all goes well, he could be a Cheltenham horse next March.

The Irish winners there this spring included Alexander Banquet, who reinforced Willie Mullins' grip on the Festival bumper. While it would be silly not to imagine that he had derived a great deal of benefit from his first winning run at Gowran Park, today's bumper looks made to measure for Tuska Ridge, unraced since finishing fourth to Alexander Banquet.

Events at the Curragh last weekend pointed to Alabama Jacks putting up a bold show in the opening juvenile maiden. He had run third at Leopardstown in a close finish to Access All Areas and Hamouse. The winner took the Marble Hill Stakes in another photo, while Hamouse was placed in a strong maiden won by Mitchigan.