His big hope in Honeysuckle may have been ruled out of Cheltenham yesterday, but owner Kenny Alexander will still have representation over there, and he has much to look forward to, evidenced by a double at Gowran today. His Minella Melody (5/4 into 9/10) was really impressive in the concluding Best Of Luck Ballyhale Shamrocks Point-To-Point INH Flat Race.

Alexander started the day with a success for the Gordon Elliott-trained Edene D'arc and he's got Minella Melody with Honeysuckle's trainer Henry de Bromhead.

Winning rider Patrick Mullins knows this family well, as Minella Melody is out of an un-raced sister to Closutton's Cheltenham winner Glens Harmony.

She was good in a Boulta point-to-point back in December for John Nallen, and here Mullins didn't need to exert himself in any way for Minella Melody's twelve length victory over Miss Pernickety

“She won a point-to-point well in Boulta and she looked really nice on the day. We were very fortunate to get her, and I’m delighted with that. I’m delighted with Full Time Score (3rd here for the Knockeen handler) as well," said de Bromhead.

“There’s a mares bumper in Punchestown and also in Fairyhouse so she could go to either. We’ll see what the owner wants to do and we won’t do too much this year. She handled that ground well.”

(AM & EM)