Contrasting reactions to threat

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On a quiet week on the track there were some good Wexford performances, with a double at Naas on Saturday. JJ Slevin kept up his fruitful partnership with first cousin, Joseph O’Brien, who seems to have a great crop of young horses. They combined to win a rated novice hurdle comfortably with Band of Brothers (5/2) from a Mullins and Elliott pair.

He was third in a handicap chase on Ask Nile (6/1) for Seamus Neville from Bridgetown, well behind clear winner Roaring Bull (7/1) for Kennedy and Elliott.

Liz Doyle introduced a very nice four year year old son of Full of Gold to impressively win the bumper, Finny Maguire taking over at the furlong mark on Barnes Des Mottes (4/1) and scoring by a cosy four lengths.

They managed to avoid the chaos three furlongs from home which saw three horses come down on the flat. The Champion bumper at Cheltenham may be an option.

It was a blank day at Punchestown on Sunday, with the best result being third in the cross country over the famous banks course for Benny Walsh (Murrintown) on the Peter Maher trained Mtada Surpreme, behind banks specialist Josies Orders (5/4f).

At Thurles on Thursday, Slevin had a pair of seconds, on John Nicholson’s outsider, Benrubin (20/1) and he was a neck second on Joseph O’Brien’s Petit Tartare (6/4), a renewed effort on the run-in just failing.

It will be the sincere wish of all racing people that the flu’ threat will end this week.