RACING: The Cheltenham Gold Cup dream remains very much alive for connections of Flemenstar after an impressive return to action in the Irish Form Book Fortria Chase at Navan yesterday.

By the time the March festival comes around it will have been seven long years since War Of Attrition claimed Gold Cup glory, the last Irish-trained winner of steeplechasing’s blue riband.

However, this year there is real hope the Irish can strike, with Peter Casey’s Flemenstar one of the brightest prospects.

The seven-year-old enjoyed a scintillating novice campaign over fences, wracking up five consecutive victories and signing off with victory in the Powers Gold Cup.

Coming back to two miles on his first appearance since early April, Flemenstar was sent straight to the lead by Andrew Lynch and produced some brilliant leaps to maintain control of the race.

He was tracked into the straight by Foildubh and Big Zeb, the latter searching for a fourth consecutive win in this Grade 2 prize, but 10-11 favourite Flemenstar saw them off with ease, beating Big Zeb by seven lengths.

Although the winner has yet to race over more than two-and-a-half miles, Coral make him 7-1 from 9-1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Stan James, however, pushed him out to 10-1 from 8-1, instead clipping him to 5-1 favourite (from 7-1) for the shorter Ryanair Chase.

Casey had insisted that his pride and joy was not fully wound up for his comeback run and remained of that opinion after the event: “When he is fit he’ll be a good one! He will go for the John Durkan now at Punchestown .

“He has got stronger since last year . . . Andrew knows him well. There is no use in telling him what to do.”