The remarkable Limestone Lad won his seventh handicap since early November when easily scoring easily at Leopardstown yesterday and is now set for a step up in class.
It was a fourth track victory for the James Bowe-trained gelding, who justified 7 to 4 favouritism in the Harcourt Handicap Hurdle by a smooth 10 lengths from Tidjani.
Shane McGovern took a valuable 7lb off Limestone Lad's 12-3 burden and the rider never had a moment's worry as Limestone Lad dominated throughout and then quickened from the second last.
"He is getting better by the hour and we may go for the top races now," said Co Kilkenny-based Bowe.
Limestone Lad was a distant second to Le Coudray at Naas in January, but with the Punchestown festival in mind, Bowe added: "With the weight he had today, that was his best effort. On decent ground he will get three miles, so I think we will take them on. He has too much weight now for handicaps."
Charlie Swan's mount in the Hudson Handicap Hurdle, Ben Cohan, was a gamble from double figure morning prices down to 7 to 2, and although he managed to join the pacesetting Bamford Castle on the run-in, Ben Cohan could not get past and went down by a head.
Swan had had better luck in the opener when Donadino overcame early keenness to make most and beat Beach Buoy by three and a half lengths. "He likes to attack his hurdles and is a bit brave, but the ground is the key to him," said Swan.
Terry Mitchell, rider of Balizac in 11th place, received a sevenday ban from the stewards for making insufficient effort. Jessica Harrington was hit by a bout of flu and couldn't attend to see the victory of Shean Town, who took the Careysfort Hurdle. The winner is a possible for Aintree but a Harrington definite is Space Trucker, who is set to contest the Martell Red Rum Chase, a race won last year by Jeffell.
The disappointment of Knife Edge's Triumph Hurdle on Thursday effort was slightly diluted for trainer Michael O'Brien when the well-backed Dovaly cosily won the Beginners Chase.
O'Brien's verdict of the Triumph Hurdle was a succinct "disaster". He added: "He had not been working well, travelled over badly and lost a lot of weight. I just hope we can get him back for Punchestown."
Frezenium took the bumper from Entrecote, but Carol Durkan, rider of the third, Native Man, got a four-day suspension for dropping her hands close home.
Jackpot fever was the order of the day at Gowran Park on Saturday when the pool swelled to a course record £164,668, helped by a massive carry over of almost £66,000. One hundred investors scooped the win dividend of £1,235.10 after easy-to-back Two Sweets, a winner between the flags at Lismore last month, landed the concluding leg for David Wachman and Pat Crowley.
Tommy Treacy was responsible for two legs of the gigantic pot, sparked off aboard Castlekelly Leader, who provided local permit holder Jimmy Morrissey with his first racecourse success in the Senator Windows Handicap Hurdle.
He followed up an hour later when completing a 39 to 1 double on Jim Dreaper's Chatterbuck in the Farming Independent Handicap Chase.
