Monty's Star puts himself in the Albert Bartlett picture as De Bromhead saddles a 1-2

Henry de Bromhead went into the Grade 3 Surehaul Mercedes-Benz Novice Hurdle with one leading fancy for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle in Hiddenvalley Lake and emerged from it with two, as the 8-13 favourite went down narrowly to stablemate Monty's Star.

Rachael Blackmore tried to make all at a steady pace on Hiddenvalley Lake, who was giving away 6lb and upwards to his rivals, and he went down battling with only Monty's Star able to sustain a challenge. Sean Flanagan's mount eventually got the better of the argument on the climb to the finish with Search For Glory a length away in third.

It was a first win of any description for the six-year-old in the colours of Minella Indo's owner Barry Maloney, who also owned the winner's half-brother, Monalee, a previous winner of this race. 

De Bromhead, winning this contest for the fourth time in the past seven years, said: "He's a big, big horse and has taken a long time. He ran really well in a maiden hurdle at Navan where he was a bit green, but I'm delighted with him today. 

"The lads just wanted to see if he would stay and he duly did. He's in the Albert Bartlett and I imagine that is where he will go next."

The son of Walk In The Park was cut to a best-priced 14-1 with William Hill for Cheltenham, although he is as low as 7-1 in places.

De Bromhead was not disappointed with the performance of Hiddenvalley Lake, who was pushed out to a best-priced 10-1 for the festival Grade 1 with Hills and BoyleSports. 

"He ran well but I thought he struggled on the ground," he said. "He will improve for better ground and was giving weight away and he had to make his own running as well. He's in the Albert Bartlett, too, and I think he is entitled to go."

De Bromhead went on to complete a double in the concluding beginners' chase, won by the Angus Pottereton-owned Queen Jane, ridden by Blackmore.

Henry de Bromhead on Monty's Star: "I'm delighted with him today. The lads just wanted to see if he would stay and he duly did. He's in the Albert Bartlett and I imagine that is where he will go next"Credit: Patrick McCann

West a breeze for Winters

Mick Winters emptied the yard on Thursday as he brought six horses to Clonmel, and he went home with a winner after the Chris O'Donovan-ridden West Breeze dominated the 2m4f qualified riders' handicap hurdle. 

The son of Westerner made all at a pretty good clip, had his rivals spreadeagled from a long way out and came home a comfortable four-and-a-quarter-length winner from Drumderry Harlem.

Winters said: "He's a big leggy fella and we thought the ground might be a bit tacky for him. We needed to get his head in front at some stage – if he didn't win today we would have been chasing shadows a lot more with him. He'll win a few chases at some stage."

In the second division of the 2m handicap hurdle 35 minutes earlier, Winters saddled runner-up Crowsatedappletart, and owner Paul Mullins revealed how the gelding got his amusing-sounding name. 

Mullins said: "I have two aunts in Ballydesmond and I went to visit them during Covid and we brought two apple tarts to give them one each, so we left them outside their back door. I got one text on the way back home from one aunt saying that she went down to the shop, got a big carton of cream and ate the whole apple tart. The other text from the other aunt said that the crows ate the apple tart, and I thought that's the name for the horse!"

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