TRAINER Andy Slattery’s Fleur In The Park (11/10 favourite) was a popular winner of Gowran’s featured Grade 2 PWC Danoli Chase on Saturday, scoring for racecourse director Padraig O’Rourke and his wife Margaret.

Successful at Grade 1 level in the WillowWarm Gold Cup last season, Fleur In The Park this time carried top-weight on his seasonal reappearance under jockey Cian Quirke.

Racing behind the leaders, the seven-year-old improved to lead at the second last and scored smartly by six and a half lengths from 156-rated Blood Destiny, who was receiving 6lb.

There was an unfortunate postscript to the race, as jockey Quirke returned with a shoulder injury, missing his remaining rides on the card.

Afterwards, Slattery stated: “Cian said he dragged his shoulder getting up on Fleur In The Park and I’d say he popped his shoulder.

“When you win a Grade 1 as a novice, you’d think it would be hard to win a race this season, but this is grand and he was only 80 or 85% fit today. Cian said he had a blow at the final fence.

“We’ll either go for the John Durkan (Punchestown) or the race in Down Royal (BetVictor Envoi Allen Champion Chase) next and then maybe the King George (Kempton). We’ll see as we go along and he’ll have three races before Christmas, and three after.

“He would love Kempton, as he has pace for two and a half miles and stays three miles. We’ll dream away and see.

“Margaret’s husband Padraig is from up the road and is a racecourse director, but isn’t here today as he isn’t well at the moment, so this is a tonic.” Trainer Slattery later completed a double with the Eight Star Syndicate-owned Sir Allen (18/1), scoring under substitute rider Philip Donovan, in the SIS Supporting Irish Racing Beginners Chase.

Donovan produced the winner to lead at the third last and the pair held on well to beat Arcadian Emperor by four and three-quarter lengths.

Slattery, whose yard has been in excellent form, reported: “Sir Allen was a very good juvenile hurdler, who also won a few flat races, but was going through the motions recently, so we started schooling him over fences, which seemed to ignite him.

“He’ll keep going over fences. We’ll look for a rated novice chase now. It was a nice winning spare for Phily, who rides out for me.”

Witches is worth watching

WILLIE Mullins was another trainer to complete a double, beginning with high-class prospect Witches Familiar (2/5 favourite), in the Grade 3 Boyle Sports Novice Hurdle.

Carrying the colours of Suzanne and Rich Ricci, the French-bred four-year-old filly quickened smartly away, under Paul Townend, from her rivals after the second last and beat Switch From Diesel by 10 lengths. Mullins’ assistant David Casey reported: “She was good in Galway and did it well again. Paul was delighted with her, thought she was good and relaxed. He said that she keeps surprising him and keeps getting better.

“There is a good gap between here and the Royal Bond, so that is a possibility and you’d be thinking about the Mares’ Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham. She was with us all last winter and had no issues with our heavy all-weather gallop, so I’m hoping she’ll be fine on soft.”

Fou finds it easy

Mullins and Townend later completed doubles in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Rated Novice Chase, with the Marie and Joe Donnelly-owned Fou De Toi (11/10 favourite). A winner at Kilbeggan in September, the ex-French son of Motivator this time scored by 14 lengths from Quantum Quest.

Casey reported: “He has been competitive on his last couple of runs and he won well today. Paul said he was having a good look at the last, but he jumps well and kept galloping... At least he is going the right way now, as he came with a reputation, which was the height of the tree!”

Luimneach abú

Conor O’Dwyer’s Luimneach (7/2) proved to be a mini-revelation in landing the concluding Sign Up To GavinLynchRacing.com Handicap Chase, scoring for owner J.P. McManus and under the trainer’s son Charlie O’Dwyer.

The six-runner race admittedly lost some of its relevance with two early fallers, but nine-year-old Luimneach nonetheless sauntered around and won unextended by seven lengths from Its Bilbo.

Trainer O’Dwyer stated: “He is a super horse to get and thanks to Dessie (McDonogh, previous trainer) as well, as he had all the hard work done.

“It’s funny as, at home, he works unbelievably well and, obviously, with his name (after McManus’ home county of Limerick), he must have been showing that as a young horse.

“His jumping has let him down at times, but he got into a lovely rhythm today. Maybe a change of yard rekindles things a bit.”

Frankie John on the mark

THIS summer’s Galway Hurdle and Plate-winning jockey Dan King continued his excellent recent form and completed a double, highlighted by success in the Grade 3 Like A Butterfly Novice Chase on the Denis Hogan-trained Frankie John (7/4).

The Michael Hogan and John Mahon-owned son of Walk In The Park was produced to lead after the final fence, and held on well to score by three-parts of a length from Vicar Street.

Trainer Hogan said: “He is a lovely horse and was always going to be a chaser. Dan gave him a lovely ride and let him warm into the race. The Drinmore was always in my head for him, but he had to go close or win today to do that.

“He didn’t have the best campaign over hurdles as the Martin Pipe Hurdle at Cheltenham had been his aim, but he missed it due to a dirty scope. He then finished fourth in a Grade 1 at Aintree and got a 10lb penalty. I think two and a half miles is spot on for him.”

Jockey King earlier collected on the John Ryan-trained Smallcraftwarning (4/1 favourite) in the Jack Duggan Memorial Handicap Hurdle, scoring for popular group, the We Win Farming Syndicate.

Following the busy gelding’s sixth success, Ryan reported: “He is a magic little horse and wants to win. He’ll go over fences now and is rated only 97 over fences. Oliver Broderick and his family are with me a number of years and are involved in this new syndicate for a couple of years. It is great for a little horse like this to do that.”

Cairos back with a win

Last year’s high-profile novice hurdler El Cairos (11/8) got back to winning ways in the opening Gowran Park Hurdle, when scoring a somewhat fortunate success, for trainer Gordon Elliott and jockey Jack Kennedy and owners Rabsons & BJM Limited.

Ebony King had moved into a narrow lead when falling at the final flight, leaving El Cairos to score by eight and a half lengths from Gaucher.

Elliott reported: “We had luck on our side and Jack said he wasn’t sure what would have happened. However, the thing he said was that El Cairos was galloping at the last, and said we could actually go further (in distance) with him.

“Things went wrong with him falling at Leopardstown last year and his whole season was a mess afterwards. It is hard to place him now, although he would be an ideal horse for Grade 2s and 3s and there is good prize money in those races.”