Alice is far from Gentle on rivals

Gentle Alice rewarded some shrewd morning price support by taking the Netwatch System Handicap Chase under Declan Bates.

The eight-year-old mare, available earlier in the day at 14/1 and sent off an 11/1 chance, was patiently-ridden by Bates to challenge Tiernan’s Terror (14/1) in the straight.

Donie Murphy’s charge appeared to be travelling by far the better of the pair, and she quickly settled the issue before the last and was driven out to score by 11 lengths. Quarryvale (9/2 jt fav) was a further length and a half back in third, while the other market leader Cloughmile fell at the first fence.

Murphy said, “She might go back hurdling but to be honest I don’t really know where she’ll go next. She has some black type over fences.”