Reason to celebrate for Spancilhill owner/trainer

Spancilhill owner-trainer Noel Glynn had good reason to celebrate after his Becauseicouldntsee justified good support when landing the €17,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners’ Chase at Fairyhouse last Saturday.
Second on two of his four previous outings over the larger obstacles, Becauseicouldntsee made no mistake this time round as he strode to a hugely impressive win that catapults him into the upcoming Cheltenham Festival picture in a big way.
Sent off 3-1 joint-favourite, the seven-year-old by Beneficial, who won a point-to-point at Killaloe in 2008, was always in the van and, jumping really well in the hands of top jockey Davy Russell, he turned into the home straight in this two and three-quarter mile contest with a healthy lead.
Facing up to the final fence, the opposition had been well and truly burned off as Becauseicouldntsee went on to beat fellow joint-favourite Corkskeagh Royale by a distance.
Glynn, who has over 20 horses in training at his Durra House yard, where former Grand National-winning jockey Jason Titley is his assistant, now has a trip to Prestbury Park next month firmly in mind for the winner. 
“I’ve always believed in this horse and he has been unlucky not to have won one of his earlier starts. He was just touched off in a good race at Navan and fully deserved to get his head in front,” he said. 
“He has come out of Saturday’s race in great shape and it is now all systems go for the four-mile National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham on St Patrick’s Day. Going left-handed will suit him better and I’d be hopeful of a big run, all going well,” concluded the Ennis native.
There was very nearly a second Banner success at the County Meath track on Saturday as Dancing Hero, owned by well-known Parnell Street, Ennis hardware merchant Jimmy Brohan, ran a tremendous race to finish second in the 0-140 two-and-a-half mile handicap hurdle.
Off the track for 461 days, the nine-year-old led into the home straight and, having been passed by the winner Dorset Square at the final flight, the 20-1 shot fought back gallantly on the run to the line under jockey Tom Ryan to get within a head of the 9-4 favourite at the line.
This was a fine effort by Dancing Hero and his Carlow trainer Tom Foley will surely find a winning opportunity for the son of Simply Great in the coming weeks.
The feature race on the card was the Grade 2 At The Race Bobbyjo Chase and this three-mile, one-furlong event brought great satisfaction to Curragh handler Dessie Hughes, who recorded a 1-2 with Vic Venturi and Black Apalachi.
This contest is regarded as a genuine Grand National trial – it was won by Hedgehunter prior to his big Aintree success back in 2005 –  and both the first and second home are pencilled in for duty at Liverpool in April.
The big disappointment here was Jim Dreaper’s 5-4 favourite Notre Pere. Last season’s Welsh National and Guinness Gold Cup winner has really lost his way this term and, having unseated Andrew Lynch at the final fence when looking well held in Saturday’s race, Dreaper has all but ruled out a trip to Cheltenham, where he had held an engagement in the Gold Cup.
Edward O’Grady will have a strong hand at Cheltenham next month and his Alaivan completed his festival preparations in good style when turning the Grade 2 Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle into a procession.
Andrew McNamara eased the 4-6 favourite into the lead two out and he never came out of second gear when passing the post 17 lengths in front of Tracy Collins’ 25-1 shot Loch Long.
The winner is now a best-priced 6-1 shot for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham and he will make a bold bid to add to O’Grady’s already impressive record at the festival.
Meanwhile, quite a few trainers were unconvinced by the cancellation of the scheduled Naas meeting on Sunday. This fixture, which was seen as a Cheltenham trial day, fell foul of the snow that fell over the east of the country and, as a result, quite a few horses missed what was to be their final outing before journeying to the big meeting next month.
Tranquil Sea, who sluiced up in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at the open meeting at Cheltenham in November, was due to line-up in the two-mile chase but having missed that engagement the son of Sea Raven will now head straight to Cheltenham.
Tavern Times, a very impressive winner of a Fairyhouse bumper on his debut last October, was also denied an outing in the concluding winners’ bumper and Tom Mullins’ six-year-old by Presenting will now also line-up in the Weatherbys Champion bumper without another run.
Horse Racing Ireland have moved swiftly to reschedule some of the major races lost on Sunday with the Grade 2 Nas Na Riogh Chase now set to take place at Thurles on Friday. The Johnstown Novice Hurdle (Grade 2) has been moved to Navan on Saturday while the two-mile Grade 2 Newlands Chase has been added to Sunday’s Leopardstown card. 

Quinn strikes with UK raider Matjar
Sixmilebridge trainer Joe Quinn made the long trek to Monday’s all-weather meeting at Wolverhampton a profitable one when sending out the gambled-on Matjar to land the first division of the nine-furlong handicap.
Second on his previous trip to the Midlands venue two months earlier, Matjar made no mistake this time, landing some good bets in the process, having been backed from 6-1 in the morning into 9-4 favourite at the off.
Ridden by Irish-born Liam Keniry, Matjar was held up early before coming with a sustained effort from the two-furlong pole to hold the challenge of second-placed King’s Icon by a length and a half.
A delighted Quinn, who trains the victorious seven-year-old for his wife, Áine Brodbin, said, “It was great to win having made the long journey over. It was a big advantage that the jockey was familiar with the horse, having ridden him when he finished second last time.
“There were very few opportunities in Ireland for him up to now but there is a suitable race at Dundalk on March 12.
“He has won and been placed there and that’s where he’ll go next.”