RACING/Punchestown report: Native Upmanship is now rated a general 12 to 1 shot to beat the Gold Cup hero Best Mate in the King George VI Chase on St Stephen's Day.

Bookies went into cutting mode after Native Upmanship picked up a second Durkan Memorial Chase victory at Punchestown yesterday.

It was a sixth Grade One success in his career and possibly his most impressive yet. It left Arthur Moore wondering if Native Upmanship is better than ever before.

"I do think he is a better horse this year and we will go to the King George to find out if we're right or wrong. Timeform rated him only 2lb off Best Mate and Florida Pearl at the end of last season," said Moore.

Beaten at long odds on his first start this season, Native Upmanship travelled well throughout and slipped through the inside of Rince Ri on the turn in.

After that, Conor Dwyer had to do the bare minimum to hold his rival by three lengths, with the French star First Gold staying on in third.

"It was as easy as it looked," reported O'Dwyer, while Moore dismissed his previous Naas run with: "It was a messy race and Paul Carberry is the bane of the horse's life. By rights, he should have won the Durkan three years in a row."

First Gold is unlikely to tackle Native Upmanship in the King George, with the Ericsson a more likely Christmas option for the French horse.

"It was too quick a distance today but it was encouraging and he will improve. My son Thierry was happy to give him a good blow rather than a hard race," said trainer Francois Doumen.

One race where yesterday's principals could meet again is the Gold Cup, as Moore confirmed Native Upmanship will be given an entry in chasing's blue riband event.

"If it turns up soft at Cheltenham he would go for the Champion Chase again, but he will get a Gold Cup entry," Moore said.

Cashmans were less impressed with that news and Native Upmanship remains a 50 to 1 outsider for the Gold Cup. However, Rince Ri's effort yesterday saw his Gold Cup odds cut to 20 to 1.

A fall on Saturday ruled Paul Carberry out of yesterday's action and it cost him a winner with Mystic Lord edging out the 8 to 11 hot-pot Supreme Developer in the maiden hurdle.

Solerina is starting to match her famous stable companion Limestone Lad's work rate and could reappear in a Grade Three next weekend after an easy defeat of Plenty Of Ice yesterday.

Gordon Elliot lost his irons when Borora King made a mistake at the last in the Conyngham Cup, but it didn't stop him galvanising the favourite to a half length defeat of Andrewjames.

Moore and O'Dwyer had earlier picked up the two mile handicap chase, but the gambled on Rheindross just missed out to Finians Ivy in the last.

Ayr are to hold a precautionary inspection at 7.30 this morning over fears of frost.

"The weather forecast for the west coast and Ayr overnight is between minus two and minus three with cold easterly winds coming in," said clerk of the course Chris Kennedy.Morphine problem untraced

THE Turf Club chief executive has described as "very worrying" the failure to pin-point the source of the morphine problem hanging over racing in Ireland and Britain.

Nine horses have tested positive for the prohibited substance, with two of the nine trained in this country.

The problem is believed to have started in a widely used food-stuff and official news of the problem was released by the Turf Club and the Jockey Club on Friday.

Up to and including the Thurles meeting last Thursday, initial tests on 11 horses were taken in Ireland and the results of at least half of them are expected today.

"It's a very worrying situation because we still cannot pin-point how the problem originated," said Denis Egan yesterday. "No food samples have been found positive. We should know more on Monday when six or seven results from the horses in Ireland will be known."

At the weekend, the Kilkenny-based feed suppliers Wm Connolly & Sons issued a statement calling for trainers and the racing authorities to join them in setting up an independent study to establish the source of the morphine.

They also called for a minimum acceptable level of morphine in a horse sample to be established, because they claim it can occur naturally.