Ryanair and Gold Cup options remain open for Red Mills Chase ace Chris's Dream

Henry de Bromhead would not commit Chris's Dream to a Cheltenham Festival challenge despite his gutsy performance to win the Red Mills Chase in extremely taxing conditions at Gowran Park.

On testing ground and run during a torrential downpour, the winner appeared to have gone quick enough in front and showed a slight tendency to jump to his right throughout.

However, Rachael Blackmore knew what she was doing on the Robcour-owned eight-year-old, who is entered in the Ryanair Chase and the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup at next month's festival.

Blackmore slowed the pace down in the second half of the race and, despite her mount being out there to be shot at from the turn into the straight, he really put his head down and battled from the final fence to hold off the persistent effort of Shattered Love by two-and-a-quarter lengths.

Chris's Dream: winner of the Troytown earlier in the seasonCredit: Caroline Norris

Winning trainer Henry de Bromhead said: “It's great that he won despite jumping a bit to his right. Rachael was brilliant on him and he put his head down and battled. To be fair to him he always does.

“After three runs he seems to lose his form, which is why we have deliberately spaced out his runs, but when he's on song he really does gallop and battle.

"He's in the Gold Cup and the Ryanair Chase so we'll see. Like I say, he doesn't seem to take too many runs before his form seems to tail off, that's what has happened the past two years. We felt we had to come here to see where we were, so we'll enjoy today and see what happens.”

The 2018 JLT Novices' Chase winner Shattered Love ran her best race for a while to finish second, while stable companion Death Duty looked a danger for a few strides turning in before finishing fourth, almost 30 lengths behind the winner.

Watch the Red Mills Chase here

Trainer Gordon Elliott was pleased with both, and said: “Shattered Love has run well. She had another wind operation since Christmas and she ran a good race. She's in the Gold Cup and I'll have a chat with the owners and see where we go. Death Duty isn't quite there yet but he ran well.”

The big disappointment of the race was favourite Real Steel, who barely raised any sort of gallop. He was struggling early in the final circuit and Paul Townend accepted his fate turning out of the back straight, eventually pulling him up before three out.

“Nothing has come to light yet but I don't think he appreciated the conditions very much,” said trainer Willie Mullins.

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