Deputy Dan could step up in class for the Grade One Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Trainer Oliver Sherwood was delighted the Albert Bartlett runner-up got off the mark over fences at the second attempt at Plumpton on Monday, having only been beaten by Virak on his fencing debut at Fontwell in October.
A visit to Kempton over Christmas is now in the pipeline, but Deputy Dan could run before that in the Harry Dutfield Memorial Novices' Chase at Exeter on December 5.
"He's a bit like Puffin Billy in that in future he'll probably want three miles," said the Berkshire handler.
"He came out of the race fine and I think his jumping to the right is something we can work on.
"I personally think he was just idling in front, having been on his own the whole way.
"He's also a big horse and Plumpton wouldn't be his ideal track.
"We'll probably look to go right-handed next time, though.
"The Feltham (now called the Kauto Star) will come under consideration at Christmas, but there's also a race at Exeter that might suit him."
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Colin McBratney is organising Carsonstown Boy's campaign around another crack at the Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Runner-up to Tammys Hill last March, the 10-year-old returned to action last Sunday in a point-to-point at Corbeagh House in County Longford, in which he pleased connections when finishing fourth.
McBratney intends to follow the same route as last season and have Carsonstown Boy in peak condition for Prestbury Park.
"He's come out of the race well," said the County Down handler.
"He needed the run badly. It's just that we're a bit behind this year because the ground has been so firm,
"He was only beaten about 12 lengths so we were very happy with him.
"He'll run again in three weeks. We're just training him again for Cheltenham.
"He'll run again this side of Christmas, then go to Thurles for the hunter chase he won last year in January and then he'll probably go to Armagh (Farmaclaffley) for the point-to-point he won last year before he went to Cheltenham.
"That's the plan."
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Stuart Crawford is looking forward to pursuing a career over hurdles with Montana Belle following her excellent effort in a Listed bumper at Cheltenham.
The four-year-old was snapped up for £170,000 by owner Roger Brookhouse after winning at Newbury for trainer John Butler last December and was immediately sent to County Antrim-based Crawford.
She performed creditably to finish fourth behind Morning Run on her Irish debut at the Punchestown Festival and ran a blinder on her seasonal reappearance at Cheltenham last weekend to fill the runner-up spot.
Crawford said: "The Cheltenham race looked a good race on paper and we thought she was going there in good form.
"We hoped she was good enough to finish in the first three and thankfully she was ready enough to do that, so we were very pleased.
"I would imagine she'll go straight over hurdles now and we'll see how we get on.
"It's nice to have horses for Mr Brookhouse.
"We haven't managed to have a winner for him yet, but hopefully we will before too long and things will go well."
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Paul Nicholls proved yet again he has no peers when it comes to preparing horses for the big races as Silviniaco Conti landed a second Betfair Chase at Haydock Park.
Winner of the Grade One prize in 2012, the eight-year-old was third to Cue Card 12 months ago on his first outing of the season.
To make sure he had his charge cherry-ripe for the first Grade One chase in England this term, Nicholls ran him in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, in which he finished fifth behind Menorah, and he arrived on Merseyside primed to get the job done.
Menorah, for the bang-in-form combination of Philip Hobbs and Richard Johnson, gave Silviniaco Conti most to think about and appeared to be travelling best at the third-last.
But when stamina came into play, Noel Fehily guided Silviniaco Conti (100-30) to a two-length win, with last year's runner-up Dynaste third, a further eight lengths away.
The disappointment of the race was the 3-1 favourite Cue Card, who tried to put the pace to the race but looked flat in the home straight and could finish only fourth, while Taquin Du Seuil was also expected to put up a big challenge but threw any chance away with sloppy jumping.
The first four home seem likely to lock horns again at Kempton in the William Hill King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.
Nicholls, who was claiming his sixth win in the race, said: "The cheekpieces sharpened him up completely. When he's right, he's probably the best (in the country). That (the King George) is where he'll go next."
Silviniaco Conti produced a curious display in last season's Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival, finishing fourth after inexplicably losing his way along the run-in when in a commanding position.
Nicholls said: " A few things didn't go to plan last season and I don't know what happened to him at the last in the Gold Cup. But when I saw he had his ears pricked today I knew they wouldn't get past him.
"We went for headgear with See More Business (1999 Gold Cup winner) and left it on him. We put cheekpieces on him (Silviniaco Conti), so I think we'll leave them on. There was no point in him being 100 per cent at Wetherby, it served its purpose but he got left at the third-last. It will be Kempton next to try and win the King George again."
Hobbs said of Menorah: "He's run the race of his life. Really, he doesn't want three miles - two-six is ideal - but he's run a fantastic race. He just hasn't quite got home but, in fairness to him, he galloped all the way to the line. The King George is only five weeks away and we'll have to look at that."
David Pipe said of Dynaste: "He's run another cracker. The ground might have just stretched his stamina a bit but he kept on going. I would have thought it would be Kempton next."
Colin Tizzard had no excuses for Cue Card and said: "There's plenty of the season left. We've no god-given right to win all of these championship races. As long as he's sound on Sunday, we'll go on to the King George."
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Philip Fenton has been disqualified from holding a trainer's licence for three years following an Irish Turf Club hearing.
Fenton was called before officials after being found guilty of possessing anabolic steroids and other banned substances at a district court hearing last month.
A cardboard box packed with 25 bottles and containers of animal remedies was found hidden in the horse spa in his yard in County Tipperary during a search by officials from the Department of Agriculture in January 2012.
Among them was one kilo of the anabolic steroid Nitrotain in a paste form in a black tub - enough for 250 doses - and a 20ml bottle of a second performance-enhancing drug Ilium Stanabolic.
Fenton was fined 6,000 euro as well as being ordered to pay a further 4,200 euro in costs following the case.
The Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer did not give evidence in the one-day hearing in Carrick-on-Suir District Court and refused to explain afterwards why he had the steroids in his yard.
Fenton's disqualification period from training horses will begin from midnight on Friday, November 28.
On March 1 next year he will be disqualified entirely from any horseracing environment.
Fenton's solicitor pleaded for a financial punishment, rather than disqualification, but a Turf Club panel felt the severity of the offence was of sufficient gravity to hand out a three-year suspension.
Head of the panel Tony Hunt said Fenton would still have the right to appeal.
The 49-year-old trainer enjoyed great success with Dunguib, who won the 2009 Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, and Last Instalment, but those two horses have since been retired.
The Tullow Tank was another flag-bearer for the yard, but he has already been transferred from Fenton's stables by owner Barry Connell.
Powerful owners Gigginstown House Stud also removed the three horses they had in training with Fenton, including the Grade Two-winning Real Steel.
Fenton had a runner at Gowran on Saturday when Ange D'Or Javilex finished third in a two-mile novice hurdle.
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Ante-post Champion Hurdle favourite Faugheen toyed with his rivals in the Coral Hurdle at Ascot.
Ruby Walsh made most of the running aboard the Cheltenham Festival-winning six-year-old, who is now unbeaten in seven starts, and was in no particular hurry at the head of affairs, but his companion largely jumped accurately and with economic purpose.
Blue Fashion at least attempted to make a race of it, but a swift jump at the last from the 1-4 favourite confirmed the inevitable and Faugheen won by a carefree three and three-quarter lengths.
The result gave Walsh and trainer Willie Mullins back-to-back victories in the Grade Two after Annie Power struck 12 months ago.
The jockey, who rode a treble on the card, said: "That was mission accomplished. Looking at the runners, we felt we might have to make the running ourselves.
"That was the first run of the year and we knew he was going to improve, so we were not about to make it a test of stamina. He showed a terrific turn of foot. This was just about November. He wasn't going to be 125 per cent fit.
"Once I got the fencing down the hill, he jumped much better form there. He has ticked the first box, he has plenty of big questions to answer, but the dream is alive."
Mullins said: "I'm delighted. Ruby really asked him at the last and he came up for him. He was able to dictate the pace, which he won't always be able to do.
"He looks way stronger than he did at any stage last year. Hopefully I can keep him like that and, if he can improve, who knows.
"I don't know where he'll go next but he has plenty of options and could go up or down in trip."
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The New One cemented his position as a strong Champion Hurdle contender with a crisp performance in the inaugural running of the Betfair Price Rush Hurdle at Haydock Park.
An unlucky third in the Festival showpiece last season, the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained six-year-old maintained his unbeaten start to the new campaign by easily taking this valuable prize over two miles.
Sam Twiston-Davies settled him in second as Zamdy Man cut out most of the running, and when the race sparked into life approaching the final flight, the 1-3 favourite moved up and emphatically brushed aside the pacesetter to score by two and three-quarter lengths without ever being asked a serious question.
The jockey said: "It was very good. He probably wouldn't want the ground as soft as it is, but his jumping was very good. You couldn't get a much bigger thrill than with a horse like this. Hopefully he didn't have too hard a race. A bit better ground, the world's his oyster."
Winning trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies added: "That was all he could do, to win pretty much on the bridle like that. It's hard to watch when they are as short in the betting as that, it's more a relief than anything.
"You've got to admire him, he jumped super. Everything went right and now the next stop it's Cheltenham (for the International). He'll be entered for the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, too, but he'd only run there if he wins as easy as today.
"He's still only a six-year-old, so his best years are ahead of him. He was still as big as a bull today - he takes a lot of work at home to get him fit. Bring on the others now."
Liam Treadwell, rider of Zamdy Man, was thrilled with his effort.
He said: "You'd have to be delighted with that, he felt like he had improved for his break. We went an end-to-end gallop and I'd imagine stepping him up in trip with the same tactics might suit, we were just done for a turn of foot. That's a decision for Venetia (Williams, trainer) and the owners, but I was delighted."
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Lizzie Kelly gave Aubusson a perfect ride to win the Betfair 'This Is Play' 'Fixed Brush' Handicap Hurdle at Haydock Park.
The 21-year-old conditional refused to panic when challengers were queuing up behind her in the home straight as the giant five-year-old pulled out more after the second-last to win impressively.
Aubusson (9-1) took up the running on the second circuit and the Nick Williams-trained gelding jumped the hurdles with aplomb, getting the opposition in big trouble running towards the last. Big Easy stuck to the task, but was beaten a length and three-quarters.
Irish raider Dara Tango was third, with 3-1 favourite Volnay De Thaix fourth.
Kelly said: "Everything went well, he travelled nicely and jumped super. He actually didn't mind the ground, but he'd like it better. He's a horse with a huge future. It's great for me to ride a horse with his profile."
The jockey's mother, Jane Williams, who is also assistant trainer to her husband, said: "It's so exciting.
"The ground isn't as soft as we were expecting, which was a bonus, though I'm sure he'll be better on better ground. Last season the race at Cheltenham (in January) finished him, he's very fragile and still young.
"I had to watch that with my fingers in my ears and under a bench as they are both my babies. It's always better watching it when you know they've won.
"There are no plans, this was the target. He's so fragile we take it one race at a time. We took a long time to discuss the tactics but I think we got them right."
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Al Ferof made a terrific return from a long absence to win back-to-back renewals of the Amlin 1965 Chase at Ascot.
Despite having been off the track for 254 days, the Paul Nicholls-trained grey banished any notion of rustiness with a formidable effort under Ruby Walsh in the Grade Two contest over two miles and three furlongs.
Rajdhani Express forged clear and put in some spectacular leaps, but Al Ferof travelled with far greater fluency towards the penultimate fence and when Walsh went for the jugular aboard the 5-2 favourite it was soon over as he powered seven lengths clear.
Somersby overcame a mistake at the last to take second spot, but he was comprehensively beaten, while Wishfull Thinking, winner of the Old Roan Chase at Aintree, was never really a factor until he made marginal late gains.
Owner John Hales said: "It was a good race to win this year, great to see him come back. He was back in the condition he was when he won the Paddy Power Gold Cup (in 2012).
"Last year when he won this race, he was downhill afterwards and we couldn't understand why. He was third in the King George, but that wasn't Al Ferof. He was second in the Denman (formerly the Aon) Chase, 30 lengths behind the winner - and that wasn't Al Ferof.
"So Paul and his team got together and discovered he'd got grade four ulcers. Paul discovered that about 10 per cent of his horses had those ulcers and you ask the Americans, grade four ulcers will stop buses. Horses can't cope with that.
"So Paul treated him, we treated him at my daughter's farm and even when he came off grass after 10 or 12 weeks he still had signs of gastric problems, so we treated him and carried on treating him.
"Now you can see the difference. He was giving 11lb - that was impressive. That wasn't just a win - that was an impressive win.
"We will go for the King George and we will take it from there."
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Ballycasey swept the opposition aside with a slick display of jumping from the front to take the feature Race That Stops A County 'Thyestes Jan 22nd 2015' Chase at Gowran Park.
Representing the all-conquering Willie Mullins team just minutes after the victory of Faugheen in the same colours at Ascot, the seven-year-old was completing a Gowran treble for the Closutton yard, which later became a four-timer.
Paul Townend set off in the lead on the 4-6 favourite, a Grade One winner in novice company last season, and the grey jumped much better than market rival Moscow Mannon all the way round.
He eased clear going to the final fence and after a splendid leap, ran on strongly to see off Followmeuptocarlow by five and a half lengths, with Moscow Mannon plugging on for a disappointing third.
Mullins had already won with Tell Us More and Douvan, and he went on to his four-timer with Don Poli.
The trainer said of Ballycasey: "That's a trip (two and a half miles) he enjoys and he jumped great. We'll probably look for a Grade Two or Three around that trip rather than go for a Grade One at this stage. It may appear that was easy, but he had a hard enough race on that ground (heavy)."
Mullins introduced impressive bumper scorer Tell Us More to obstacles in the
www.gowranpark.ie Maiden Hurdle and the market suggested defeat was out of the question for the Gigginstown challenger, who was sent off a 1-5 chance.
Bryan Cooper set off in front and had the opposition in trouble jumping the third-last, after which the imposing five-year-old stretched 11 lengths clear without coming off the bridle.
The trainer said: "He got things his own way a bit but he's probably good enough to do that anyway. He's a natural jumper and he'll have no trouble going up in trip. I'd say he'll improve a fair bit off that as I thought beforehand he looked a bit big. That all bodes well for the future. We'll find something for him around Christmas and he looks top drawer."
Cooper added: " He's as nice a young horse as I sat on in a while. He came with a high reputation and if you were to look at him in the parade ring he still looked pretty big, so hopefully there's plenty more improvement to come. I had any amount of horse pulling up. Hopefully we have something exciting to look forward to now."
Next up for the Closutton maestro was French import Douvan (8-15 favourite), who put in a slick round on his Irish debut to win the Santa Train At Gowran Park Novice Hurdle with considerable ease, readily going clear to score by 12 lengths under Townend.
The trainer said: "He's a nice big horse and he'll be a chaser down the line. He could be anything and he'll have no trouble going out in trip."
Townend added: " He was showing us plenty at home and it's nice for him to show it at the racecourse. He obviously had plenty of schooling done in France and he's a natural. He's a lovely horse - a fine big horse with a big stride on him. We think he could be very good. Hopefully he can go right to the top. This lad is very exciting, we think he's the real deal."
The quartet was completed by the Cooper-ridden Don Poli (11-10 favourite), who led over the last four obstacles on his fencing debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase before holding fellow Gigginstown runner Wounded Warrior by two and a half lengths.
Mullins said: "I think that's his game - he should make a good staying chaser. He appears to idle all the time and I hope there's lots left in the locker when you go for him. It's early days, but he seems made for the four-mile race at Cheltenham. He gallops and he stays."