RACING: Hedgehunter's Grand National potential shone like a beacon through the Gowran Park gloom yesterday as he ran his rivals ragged in the Goulding Thyestes Chase.

Patiently ridden in his previous start when third in the Welsh National, there was nothing patient about the way David Casey rode the Willie Mullins-trained stayer this time.

Casey, successful in the race two years ago on This Is Serious, sent Hedgehunter to the front before the second fence and only I'vehadit managed to get within hailing distance from there on.

That "hail" was the two lengths that I'vehadit closed to on the turn-in but Hedgehunter never looked under maximum pressure to kick clear again and win easing up.

"The owner (Trevor Hemmings) is keen on the National and this horse jumps for fun. He has loads of gears too. I wouldn't mind being on board," said Casey afterwards.

He wasn't the only one impressed. Bookmaker reaction saw Paddy Power's Aintree odds slashed down to 16 to 1 but for Mullins there was just relief that his instincts were correct.

"I feel this is the way to ride him. The way he won the National Trial last season was an eye-opener and I told David to kick on if nothing else wanted to," the trainer said.

Mullins was unsure about Hedgehunter getting another start before Aintree - "he's light framed and I don't want to over-race him" - but future tactics now look to be sorted out.

"I was disappointed the way it turned out at Chepstow. We discussed the way to go and Ruby (Walsh) wanted to hold him up which we did. But it didn't work out," said Mullins who was also landing his second Thyestes following Micko's Dream four years ago.

Mullins also had the third in the novice Rule Supreme who recovered well from a bad mistake six out. The SunAlliance remains his target. The ante-post gamble Satco Express was pulled up in the straight and afterwards was found to be coughing.

Casey and Mullins weren't finished there and Boneyarrow earned a tilt at Pizarro et al in the PJ Moriarty with a hard-fought length defeat of Camden Tanner in the novice chase.

"He nearly broke his neck in the Drinmore last season and stood in his box for three months after it. He loves that ground and he's earned a go at the Moriarty," Mullins said.

If Mullins was happy then Noel Meade's reaction to Rosaker's easy win in the Grade Three Stayers Hurdle Trial was one of pure relief.

"Happy days are here again!" he said after his first winner since December 20th.

"The first horse to get sick in our yard happened the Monday before Christmas. By the Wednesday there were 45 with temperatures. It's nice to see them back," Meade reported.

Rosaker will go for Navan's Boyne Hurdle next before a decision is taken on the Stayers' Hurdle. Cashmans leave the horse unchanged on 33 to 1 for Cheltenham.

Tony Mullins isn't figuring on making the fetival with Three Mirrors who sufficiently overcame his temperament to make most of the running in the Juvenile Hurdle.

"He is rapidly improving but he has to learn to settle down. We had to walk him to the races today because he went mental the last day at Naas. It's not that he's a nutcase. He's fine at home, but he does need to settle," he said.

Rockspring Hero justified strong market support in the handicap chase while Another Native and Derek O'Connor just got the better of a thriller with Jakers in the bumper.

There was also a short head between Kilbeggan Lad and Watts Hill in the handicap hurdle with the Hourigan runner just edging it.

Yesterday's crowd was just shy of 9,000 which, in the absence of formal records, the Gowran authorities claimed as a probable record for the track.

The bookmaker turnover of €1,198,611 at Gowran yesterday was a course record, as was the Tote figure of €229,712.