Bealtaine, trained by Ian Duncan in Antrim, won the Doncaster Bloodstock Sales/EBF Mares' Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race at Musselburgh yesterday in good style. It was the trainer's first victory at the track.
Adrian Maguire, Bealtaine's jockey, was completing a 29 to 1 double, initiated on What A Wonder for the Ferdy Murphy stable.
However, Maguire picked up a three-day suspension (Feb 23rd, 24th, 26th) for excessive use of the whip on What A Wonder. Tysou booked his ticket for Cheltenham with an impressive display in the juvenile novices' hurdle at the same meeting.
Despite shouldering a triplepenalty for wins at Clairefontaine and Catterick (twice), Micky Hammond's four-year-old was always travelling well. Elsworth unleashed his mount two out and the race was quickly over as the 9 to 4 jointfavourite stretched clear to score by three lengths.
Fontwell Park look set to be the beneficiaries of the recent spell of wet weather, with a host of top-class horses entered for next Monday's card.
The 21-strong entry for the £20,000 National Spirit Hurdle includes Paul Nicholls' classy novices, Ask The Natives and Valley Henry and 1999 Triumph Hurdle hero Katarino.
But the star turn is likely to be the Francois Doumen-trained Baracouda, who may be forced to bypass an engagement at Warwick on Saturday with the course currently under water.
Today's Sandown's card was abandoned due to waterlogging and officials also decided that the hurdle course would not be fit for racing tomorrow either.
But hopes are high that a six-race card combining the chases from both days can be staged tomorrow.
Howard Johnson has warned that his Queen Mother Champion Chase hope Direct Route will not run again this season unless the ground dries up. The horse galloped at Musselburgh yesterday and will go go straight to Cheltenham if ground conditions are right.
Johnson said yesterday: "If it is not good at Cheltenham we will wait for Aintree, if it's not good there we will hope it is at Punchestown, and if it isn't, then we will put him out in the field for the summer. It is a waste of time running him on soft ground."
Petrushka is set to escape the British winter next week and take up holiday residence in Dubai.
The winner of three Group One events last season will be prepared for a bid at either the Dubai World Cup or the Sheema Classic at Nad El Sheba on March 24th.
Kieren Fallon took a break from riding in Dubai to partner Sir Michael Stoute's charge on the Newmarket gallops on Tuesday.
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