Quick double for Meade/Carberry

A switch to fences proved just the tonic for Didntitellya who completed a quick 71/1 double at Down Royal for Noel Meade and Paul Carberry in the N.I. Hotels Federation Beginners Chase.

The Presenting gelding had shown little for present connections since bought out of Eoin Doyle’s yard after landing a Bartlemy point-to-point last May.

However Carberry adopted front-running tactics on his first run over fences under rules, and he left previous disappointing hurdle form well behind in this two and a half miles event.

The 8/1 chance kept on well from two out, where Hi Big Man was close-up when taking a fatal fall, to beat the odds-on Katnap by three and a half lengths. Inishfree Boy stayed on a further length and three quarters away in third.

Meade said, “We always said that the minute he saw a fence he was a totally different horse. He ran in a bumper and was disappointing and in his three hurdles one was worse than the other.

“When we schooled him though he jumped brilliantly and Paul said he came on the bridle and was a different horse.

“We gave plenty of money for him as well and it's nice to see him showing something. He was getting weight and it was an ordinary race.

“He seems to handle that ground. We tried him on good ground in Limerick and he ran poorly. I'd say he's fair slow.”

Carberry said, “As soon as he saw the first he lit up and he jumped brilliant the whole way. It’s amazing how much it brings them on. It was a different story over hurdles, he just didn’t like it at all.”

Meade and Carberry were also successful just half-an-hour earlier with Blissful Moment in the opening three-mile handicap chase.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson