Macs Joy - trial winner (Getty Images).
JOY FOR MACS, BUT NOT EUSTACE
By Alan Sweetman
A pair of winning odds-on favourites took the major honours in key hurdle races over the weekend in Ireland. At Gowran on Saturday Macs Joy, runner-up to Brave Inca in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle, landed the two-mile Red Mills Trial in comfortable fashion, while the AIG third Golden Cross was somewhat less convincing in winning the Boyne Hurdle over two miles and seven furlongs at Navan on Sunday. As a Champion Hurdle trial, the Gowran race was rendered virtually meaningless by the absence of Hardy Eustace whose prospects of retaining his crown suffered a reverse when he ran poorly in the AIG. He now looks even more vulnerable in view of the fact that Dessie Hughes was not sufficiently satisfied with his wellbeing to let him take his chance in the event that has provided the springboard to his two Champion Hurdle wins. Macs Joy made the most of the opportunity, and should not be far from the heart of action in the big one at Cheltenham in which he was fifth last year when possibly a little over the top. The Red Mills runner-up Asian Maze produced a display that augurs well for her chance in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle. Her novice campaign last season was marked by sustained improvement from modest beginnings, culminating in Grade One victories at Aintree and Punchestown, and any worries that her delayed start to the new season might be indicative of training difficulties were largely swept aside by the way in which she performed here over a trip short of her best. After making the running she was tapped for speed when Macs Joy went past her at the third-last but stayed on again from before the final flight to finish an honourable second. Golden Cross is also bound for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle having proved his stamina at Navan by getting to the front near the finish on his first run over a trip in excess of two-and-a-half miles. Partnered by top Flat jockey Johnny Murtagh, it took him an age to master the front-running Florida Coast who had established a clear advantage from the outset, but trainer Michael Halford was nonetheless satisfied with the run, reasoning that he is a lazy horse who seldom does more than than the minimum required. Murtagh told Halford that Golden Cross was not helped by having to race on his own for the greater part of the race, and believes that he will rise to the occasion in more competitive company, though Halford warned that any hint of quick ground would rule him out of Cheltenham. Navan staged two Ladbroke-sponsored Grade Two events for novice chasers, catering for both two-milers and three-milers. The latter race was won in good style by Church Island, a seven-year-old from the Michael Hourigan stable carrying the Beef Or Salmon colours. After beating Saturday's Wincanton runner-up Celtic Son at Cheltenham in November, Church Island's season went into reverse, but he got back on track here with a fine round of jumping under Andrew McNamara to earn a tilt at the Royal & SunAlliance Chase in which he should have a decent each-way chance. Following a poor run in Leopardstown's Arkle the Arthur Moore-trained Mansony made short work of the opposition in the two-mile event but looks a more likely type for Fairyhouse and Punchestown rather than Cheltenham.
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