RACING FAIRYHOUSE REPORT:ARAN CONCERTO produced a dramatic performance to win yesterday's Grade One Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse and provide jockey Paul Carberry with a perfect big-race result on his first day back from injury.

However, on ground conditions that some trainers described as verging on good to firm, the drama didn’t end at the winning post.

Carberry got off Aran Concerto on the walk back to the winner’s enclosure fearing the injury-plagued star was lame and as the winner was led away after the formalities he started bucking and kicking appearing to have problems with his off-hind leg.

Trainer Noel Meade initially feared that his pain-staking efforts in bringing the horse he has described as being among the best he has ever trained might have yielded Grade One success yesterday but also more long-term injury problems.

However, he later reported: “He’s a bit stiff behind but it doesn’t look as bad as I thought.” He won’t get a better bulletin this year as the former champion trainer’s admiration of Aran Concerto was only cemented by yesterday’s performance. The horse had just a short head in hand of Barker, with Deutschland in third, but it was just his second start over fences, and his first since October.

“You can see the potential there if we can just train him. He must be a helluva horse to do that on just his second run and in a race like that. We will have to see how he is. Punchestown was the plan but that could be on hold. We will have to see how he is,” Meade said.

It was an ideal high-profile success for Carberry who was on his first day back since suffering a collapsed lung and a tear to his liver in a fall at the Cheltenham Festival. “He travelled great the whole way and jumped great. He was good at the last and galloped to the line. I thought I had Barker at the line,” he said.

Despite yesterday’s official ground description of good, a total of 11 horses were taken out of their races due to the going, including the highly-rated Joncol in the Powers Gold Cup.

After Kempes landed the Grade Two Rathbarry and Glenview Stud Novices Hurdle, the centrepiece of a 62 to 1 treble for Ruby Walsh, trainer Willie Mullins had no doubt conditions were quickening up. “They are calling it good but they ran 3.46 for that and that sounds a good to firm time: especially on a track like this that seems very fast,” he said.

Kempes didn’t get a totally clear run in the straight but managed to comfortably overhaul Lurgan by two lengths and Mullins added: “He got his jumping together and he will go to Punchestown where we’ll keep him at the minimum trip.”

Mullins was later happy to be wrong after Uimhiraceathair weaved his way through the field to land the novice handicap hurdle. “Obviously I’ve been wrong all year – I thought he was a soft ground horse. His pedigree is soft ground and I was questioning myself all day about taking him out. But obviously the ground suited him and he will go to Punchestown. He could be quite well handicapped now,” he said.

Walsh brought up his treble in the Beginners Chase with another patient effort on board the favourite Aggie’s Lad.

Duguib might be the top bumper horse of the season for many but Luska Lad looks as good as anything else after notching a fourth bumper success yesterday for trainer “Shark” Hanlon.

“He should improve for this and we’ll go for the Champion Bumper at Punchestown provided the ground is suitable,” Hanlon said.

Shirley Casper is also heading to Punchestown after completing a double for Dessie Hughes in the Grade Three mares hurdle. “She’s very good and I always thought that ground would be ideal for her,” Hughes said.

Yesterday’s Easter Sunday attendance of 7,149 was marginally up on last year’s corresponding figure of 7,025.

The Fairyhouse authorities were last night watering the track ahead of today’s Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National. Original forecasts for overnight rain were changed yesterday evening and with ground conditions getting quicker the decision has been taken to water.

The official going yesterday was “good.”

Clerk of the course Joe Collins said: “The Met Office are telling us we won’t see any rain until about midday on Monday and it will be of little consequence, about 5-6mms. We will water to maintain the ground and keep it the easy side of good.”