Indiana Jones takes step up in class in his stride to land Flyingbolt for Mouse Morris

Trainer Mouse Morris failed to read the script as the rejuvenated Indiana Jones landed the Grade 3 Flyingbolt Novice Chase under Darragh O'Keeffe. When likely market leader Hollow Games was withdrawn, the race looked like a match between the Willie Mullins-trained pair of Flame Bearer and Ha D'Or.

In the event, Flame Bearer again put in a sub-standard round of jumping and was beaten before two out. But Ha D'Or ran his race and looked the likely winner between the last two, before the giant Indiana Jones came through strongly in the centre of the track, racing to all intents and purposes on his own, and stayed on strongly up the hill. The winning margin of two lengths did not flatter the son of Blue Bresil.

The improvement in the second season novice, who was sent off 15-2, is testament to the skills of his trainer. Indiana Jones suffered a series of extremely heavy falls last season, but Morris has gradually restored his confidence to the point where he now looks like a progressive chaser. The Grade 3 Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase at Thurles in two weeks, won last year by stable companion French Dynamite, may be next on the list.

Mouse Morris: struck with Indiana JonesCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Morris said: "He's a huge horse. He was up at Puppy [Robbie] Power's place after the purlers of falls he took last year and Puppy did a great job on him, and Sarah at home did a lot of the groundwork on him. He's all right now isn't he?"

"The race in Thurles would look the obvious race for him if I don't get a notion between now and then! I didn't really know what to expect today. It was hard to work out the two Mullins horses after they ran so badly the last day. I thought if they just weren't on song we might have a squeak. Ratings wise it might have looked stupid to take them on but then again a Graded race is a Graded race."

O'Brien and Shinnick ride again

Jockey John Shinnick is proving a lucky charm for trainer Terence O'Brien. After Truckers Angel's victory at Clonmel on Thursday, the pair teamed up again to win the veterans handicap chase with the mare Kalli's Quest. The daughter of Kalanisi has been consistent since coming back from a spell on the sidelines, and this neck victory over the rallying Definite Plan was deserved.

Shinnick said: "She was electric going around and took me the whole way. When I got to the last I got a good hold of her to make sure she would jump it, and she battled well to the line. I was very happy with her. Her jumping was a little bit iffy prior to today, and bottom weight today definitely helped her. She knew that I was only a fly on her back today!"

100-1 scorer has Hand in dreamland

Local trainer Finbarr Hand was probably the only person not surprised by the 100-1 success of his newcomer We Got This in the mares' maiden hurdle, as the unraced mare stayed on strongly under Paddy O'Brien to get the better on the climb to the finish of Broomfield Bijou and front-running market leader Cash The Cheque.

The winner is owned by dentist Maura McGuinness, who used to hold a trainer's licence. There appeared to be no fluke about the victory, and when Hand was asked whether it was a surprise, he replied: "It wasn't really. She's a lovely mare and every piece of work she's done she finished off well. I've a nice horse called Walter Grey, who finished fourth at Fairyhouse last week, and she finished upsides him in a piece of work just before that. I left her handy since. Paddy was saying she'll be better over further.

"She met a lot of traffic along the way, and I think she could be the real deal. We would have to look at Fairyhouse over Easter for her now, maybe over two and a half miles. There is a lot of improvement in her and we might even go the novice route now."

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