'He is likely to go for the Ballymore' - De Bromhead star heading to Cheltenham

Saturday: Naas

Robcour's Journey With Me remains a best-priced 5-1 shot for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival after a workmanlike yet ultimately convincing display in a well-contested auction novice hurdle at a showery Naas.

It was not the most satisfactory of races. They crawled through the early stages until Rachael Blackmore took the 4-11 favourite to the front with a circuit to go.

Making his own running did not seem to suit him, despite having done it before, and he was quite green, but he got the job done and stayed on well from the last to account for Choice Of Words by three lengths.

Watch Journey With Me win in workmanlike fashion

Winning trainer Henry de Bromhead, who won last year's Ballymore with the same owner's Bob Olinger, said: "We just said today that we would try and sit in and see if he would be happy enough to settle in behind – and in a normally run race he would have – but Rachael really had to go on after half a mile."

He added: "Nothing is set in stone, but in my head he is likely to go for the Ballymore."

Another Opera Hat for Elimay

Anyone in attendance at Naas who knew nothing of Valerie Cooper's mare Opera Hat got an education throughout the afternoon, as a film clip extolling her exploits, particularly at Naas where she won nine times, was played over the closed circuit on numerous occasions.

Even Willie Mullins got in on the act after Elimay won the Listed mares' chase named in honour of Opera Hat for the second straight year. "If she turns out to be half as good she will be doing very well," he said.

In truth, the grey, almost pure white, daughter of Montmartre faced quite a simple task in seeing off four inferior rivals at odds of 2-13. Making all under Mark Walsh, she mostly jumped extremely well in beating Court Maid by five lengths, and is now a best-priced 5-1 second favourite for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase at Cheltenham next month.

Mullins said: "I imagine we'll go straight to Cheltenham after that. She carried Mark the whole way and did everything that he asked. She really jumped from fence to fence today, compared to Fairyhouse the last day, which may have been down to the first-time cheekpieces."

Bullish Cooper lauds Icare

The concluding bumper looked an interesting contest, with all bar one of them unraced, and it produced a taking debut performance from the Tom Cooper-trained Icare D'Aubrelle, who forged clear in the last furlong under Derek O'Connor to beat favourite Trust Me Nate by eight and a half lengths.

The four-year-old son of Saint Des Saints will not be following the Champion Bumper route of the trainer's previous Cheltenham Festival winner Total Enjoyment, however.

Cooper said: "He's very special. I'll discuss it with the owners but I very much doubt he'll go to Cheltenham. The owner, Ciaran Mooney, has a few very nice horses with me and I'm very lucky to have a guy to get me back on track."

Results, replays and analysis

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