Bannow Bay struggles to hold off Prince Of Tara

Racing/Navan Report: The Stayers' Hurdle second favourite, Bannow Bay, scrambled home by a neck in his festival warm-up at Navan yesterday but Christy Roche wasn't searching for any panic button to press.

"That ground is very tacky. I thought he might even get beaten. If anyone has backed him for Cheltenham, I wouldn't tear up any tickets!" the trainer grinned after the Boyne Hurdle.

Charlie Swan also blamed the ground, adding: "He is a horse that is inclined to idle and he never wins by much anyway." The calm response from connections seemed to soothe any nerves among the bookies, with Cashmans maintaining Bannow Bay's position as 4 to 1 next best to the 11 to 10 French favourite, Baracouda.

There was also the upbeat response from the connections of the runner-up, Prince Of Tara, who believe they have a serious young horse on their hands.

"I know people might laugh but I think he is a Gold Cup horse. He can do something Florida Pearl can't do and that is stay. He is only four and a half years old and could have gone around again," said his trainer Steve Mahon.

Jockey Barry Geraghty was also impressed after Prince Of Tara kept Bannow Bay company throughout, before the pair slogged it out up the final hill. Swan didn't have to go for absolutely everything on the odds-on favourite, but wasn't far off it.

"I was thinking this morning of not coming here. I was afraid of it," Roche admitted. "We never had any intention of coming here at all but then Limestone Lad came out and we decided to use the race as a bit of work.

"That should do a lot for him as regards Cheltenham, but it will have to. That performance would not win the Stayers' Hurdle."

Willie Mullins reported that Florida Pearl and Alexander Banquet will start their Gold Cup preparation this morning, having had a week off since the Hennessy.

"Both have come out great," he said before confirming Alexander Banquet a likely starter in the Aintree Grand National. "If he comes out of the Gold Cup anyway right, he will go to Aintree." Mullins was speaking after Its Time For A Win booked his own festival ticket with a defeat of Cregg House in the handicap chase. The horse will run in either the Mildmay Of Flete or the Grand Annual at Cheltenham.

Canon Barney remains a 12 to 1 shot for the National Hunt Chase after landing a division of the maiden hurdle, but his trainer Tom Hogan said: "I'm having second thoughts about running him." Barry Geraghty was recommending a trip to Liverpool for the Glenlivet Hurdle after Henry Afrika beat the favourite, Well Fella, in the opener. Afterwards, the stewards looked into the winner's apparent improvement in form and noted the explanation from the trainer's representative.

The favourite, Born Flyer, was found to be in season after disappointing in the handicap hurdle won by Quality First; and Greywell had far too much petrol for the warm favourite, Twist 'N Shout, in the bumper.