SUNDAY’S DRINMORE Chase at Fairyhouse turned into something of a disaster for the favourite First Lieutenant but trainer Mouse Morris yesterday reported an upside in that the horse didn’t burst a blood vessel as had been first reported.

Jockey Davy Russell did very well to stay in the saddle when First Lieutenant made a bad mistake at the eighth fence but eventually pulled up his mount fearing he had bled. Morris reported the blood was caused by the impact of hitting the fence.

“He’s grand, I think it was more the bang on the head. He bled from his nose. There was so much I think he would have been dead if it came up from his lungs,” he said. “It was one of those things. I don’t know why he made the mistake. He was jumping grand up until then.

“Maybe it was the ground, he doesn’t jump as well out of soft, we know he’s not at his best on it. Because he hasn’t really burst – it was from a bang – I wouldn’t be saying he was a bleeder so I wouldn’t be too worried.

“We’ll just have to see if he runs at Christmas. I’d be loath to run him on heavy ground again. His class nearly got him back in the race.

“It was some recovery from Davy, I’d put my glasses down and it wasn’t until I heard the commentator say his name again that I knew he was still going.”