LEOPARDSTOWN REPORT: GIVE IT Time established her Cheltenham Festival credentials in style at Leopardstown yesterday as she ran out a two-length winner of the €40,000 Listed mares hurdle.
The David Nicholson Hurdle on the opening day of the festival in March is a target for the Jessica Harrington-trained runner, who is an 8 to 1 shot with Cashmans in ante-post betting for the two-and-a-half-mile event.
Yesterday's victory proved the trip will be no problem to Give It Time, who conceded 6lb to the runner-up Aura About You and handed out a two-length defeat under replacement jockey Andrew Leigh, who was filling in for the injured Mark Bolger.
"She will go to Cheltenham now and I doubt she will run beforehand," Harrington said.
"She settled today, for all Mr (Barry) Geraghty saying she wouldn't settle at Navan, and she seemed to like that ground."
United and last year's winner Whiteoak top the betting for the David Nicholson mares hurdle at 6 to 1 each.
The first leg of yesterday's Jackpot produced a 33 to 1 skinner in Back On The Road, who took advantage of some last-fence mayhem in the Beginners Chase to win for trainer Arthur Moore.
The 3 to 1 favourite, Deutschland, looked to have the race in safe keeping on the run to the last as Ruby Walsh made a decisive move, but the partnership fell, as did Askthemaster just a few strides later.
Suddenly Horner Woods and the former Grade One winner Travino, who was returning after a 977-day absence, were back in the fray after racing prominently throughout. Travino, in particular, wasn't helped by Deutschland's fall and had to swerve to avoid the stricken favourite.
However, in the final hundred yards Alan Crowe galvanised Back On The Road past the pair of them to open Moore's Christmas account.
"We haven't exactly been getting the rub of the green but that's changed," smiled the veteran trainer. "You could run that race 10 times and get seven different winners, but this is a horse we have always liked. He should go on for that and he will maybe come back for a handicap over two-and-a-half."
Walsh's luck was also out in the conditions hurdle where the favourite, Candy Girl, was overhauled on the run-in by her market rival Dancing Tornado. The David Casey-ridden winner was short of room from the turn in to the last but eventually made the most of a gap up the inner.
"He has got it all together today and did it nicely," said JP McManus's racing manager, Frank Berry.
The McManus colours were also carried into the number one spot after the bumper when Sweeps Hill made a winning debut to secure trainer John Kiely a second bumper winner at this festival.
Sweeps Hill had a length and a half in hand of Rhyl Accord, with Hugo De Vindecy in third.
Kiely also won with Wave Power, and he said yesterday: "I don't have many like them. I doubt if I'll be able to keep the other fellah, but I might be allowed keep this one. We will see how he comes out of the race but he should learn a lot from it."
Bookmaker reaction was to install Sweeps Hill as a 12 to 1 shot for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.
Claimer Luke McNiff advertised his talents again by getting Cleni Boy home a three-quarter length winner of the Opportunity Chase. Cleni Boy was never travelling sweetly but McNiff's perseverance paid off with the sixth win of the teenager's career.
Cleni Boy's trainer, Noel Meade, completed a double in the two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle with Paul Carberry getting Corskeagh Royale to break his duck over jumps at the third time of asking. Last season's Cheltenham bumper runner-up seemed to thrive over the extra distance and overhauled Stewarts House on the run-in.
A good crowd
YESTERDAY'S CROWD figure of 10,348 broke the pattern of this Christmas and was slightly up on last year's attendance. It brought the four-day total to 59,379.
Betting figures continued to be down, however, with the day's bookmaker tally of €1,405,989 a decrease from €1,598,253. The Tote figure of €400,358 was down €16,000.
Total bookmaker betting for the four days was €6,349,689 with the Tote at €1,926,539.
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