O'Grady knows his Limit

Leopardstown Report:A Grade One Christmas victory at Leopardstown usually provokes instant talk of the Cheltenham Festival in two and a half months time but a determinedly level-headed Edward O'Grady has his own ideas for the rest of Sky The Limit's season after the almost white-coloured star won yesterday's Durkan New Homes Novice Chase.

Instead of speculation about a possible challenge for the Arkle or the SunAlliance, the Co Tipperary trainer instead mentioned the Ryanair Chase - and almost in the same breath then dismissed that option in favour of a home campaign for Sky's The Limit.

Since the horse is already a festival winner - 2006 Coral Cup - the move looks significant for a horse that after a narrow but decisive head defeat of Lenrey, looks the best novice chaser in Ireland. However, since O'Grady secured a near 49 to 1 three-timer yesterday, he's definitely coming at the situation with his eye in.

"I think today confirmed that two miles is too short for him and I don't want to go three miles yet. So we will be looking at the PJ Moriarty next and then the Powers Gold Cup. That looks a reasonable programme," he argued.

"Two and a half looks his trip but he can go for the Ryanair at any time. The Powers is open to him this year so it looks like something we should look at," O'Grady added.

After a lacklustre first season over fences, which was abandoned at this stage last year after a sixth in the day one Leopardstown feature, Sky's The Limit looks a transformed character this term and showed an admirable attitude to win yesterday.

Perce Rock's dramatic fall at the third last left just three remaining but they faced the straight in line and a slow jump by Sky's The Limit at the last allowed Lenrey back for a renewed challenge that had jockey Andrew McNamara at full stretch to the line.

Not surprisingly, after earlier wins on the O'Grady pair, Tranquil Sea and Shazand, McNamara's eye was also in, despite a last-flight fall on Peplum in the maiden hurdle that could have secured the newly-formed team a memorable four-timer.

Tranquil Sea in particular did enough in winning the opener to earn 25 to 1 quotes for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham and O'Grady reported: "He's in the Slaney Hurdle but that might be a bit quick for him. We will stick him in all the good novice races but he's a point-to-point winner and chasing will be his game."

There was a fairytale success in the €100,000 Juvenile Hurdle as Won In The Dark earned his Grade One spurs with a three-length defeat of the O'Grady-McNamara representative, Indian Spring. The regally-bred but diminutive son of Montjeu was bought for just €1,800 by his Curragh trainer Sabrina Harty after an undistinguished two-year-old career and despite two wins over flights prior to yesterday, he was still being overlooked on the run-up to the race.

"We thought he had the best form coming into the race but we couldn't get a jockey. Shane (Hassett) had to go to the North and then we thought Roger Loughran would ride but he switched to another runner. But we eventually got a good man (Martin Mooney) and he did a fantastic job," said Harty, a niece of the Grand National-winning jockey, Eddie Harty.

"He cost €65,000 as a yearling but he is small. His heart is big, though, which is the main thing. He's a great fun horse and is so genuine," she added of a horse who is now as low as 16 to 1 for the Triumph Hurdle.

Arthur Moore has a good record in the Grand Annual Chase at Cheltenham and that two-mile event is already the plan for Kranji who continued to progress up the ratings with a six-length all-the-way win under Niall Madden in the handicap chase. "He was lucky he got his ground and it's nice compensation for Lenrey getting beaten earlier," Moore said. "Everything went right for him but he could be a Grand Annual horse on the strength of that."

Noel Meade's newcomer, Go Native, was favourite for the bumper but he found little off the bridle and it was another debutant, I'm Still Standing, who got home ahead under a powerful drive from jockey Denis Cullen. The winner is now 25 to 1 shot for the Cheltenham bumper.