Bella battles to deny Scruff The Slane Handicap Hurdle at Navan produced a terrific finish and an ultra-game front-running performance from Bella Mana Mou. Promising claimer Tim Carroll excelled on Michael Cullen's mare as she pulled out all the stops to just deny Martin Scruff in the 2m7f contest. Davy Condon's mount cruised into contention turning for home and the pair settled down to scrap it out from the second last. Bella Mana Mou proved a tough customer, however, and hard as Condon tried his mount just couldn't find a way past as the pair flashed past the post locked together. The narrowest of short-heads seperated the duelling duo with a seven-length gap back to the third placed Whodoyouthink. The Gordon Elliott-trained Martin Scruff was just failing to atone for a controversial defeat under Paul Carberry at Punchestown last month. Ann Cullen, representing husband Michael, said afterwards:- "She loved the ground today and we'll go for the Irish National next - ground permitting. "She fell the last day at Naas and we thought she would have run a big race then." The winning Basement Syndicate are local to the trainer in New Ross, Wexford.
