Youlneverwalkalone made amends for two fruitless trips to Cheltenham when he justified favouritism with consummate ease in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park on Saturday but the big upset at the Kilkenny venue was Nick Dundee failing to complete the course in the Red Mills Chase.
Conor O'Dwyer was content to settle the Christy Roche-trained 4/7 shot, Youlneverwalkalone in behind before tracking the leaders into the straight. The pair then loomed up ominously after the second last and kept on well when challenged by 20/1 shot Goldstreet on the run-in to score by two lengths.
'He's the best horse I'ver had and is definitely the second best horse around after Istabraq,' said Roche, who added, 'He's had a little problem with one of his joints which we intend dealing with over the summer. Hopefully, he'll run in the Stayers Hurdle, along with Bannow Bay, as long as the ground does not come up good. He must have a cut to go.'
'We've had him since he was a foal and I get so much pleasure out of him,' Roche said. Asked what would happen if anything forced Istabraq out of the Smurfit Champion Hurdle, the former champion rider responded, ' he'd be there very quickly.'
The Roche stable-star is a 6/1 chance for the Bonusprint Stayers Hurdle next month while Bannow Bay is quoted at 7/1 for the three mile stamina test..
Nick Dundee's Gold Cup dream received a shattering blow when Edward O'Grady's charge unseated Norman Willianson at the fourth last fence in the Red Mills Chase, won in gallant fashion by course specialist Bob Treacy.
The warm 4/9 chance, who also crashed out at the fifth fence in the Hennessy, didn't jump that fluent at times before his exit and afterwards a dejected O'Grady said, 'What can I say.It is very disappointing and I'll have to take another look.'
Cashmans were not impressed and make him a 33/1 shot from 14/1 for the Gold Cup next month.
For connections of twelve-year-old Bob Treacy, the race produced a totally different story when John Cullen galvanised the veteran to forge past front-running Micko's Dream on the run-in to land his second Red Mills Chase.
The runner-up wasn't helped by a mistake at the penultimate fence but full credit to the 10/1 outsider of the four-runners as he ran on under a strong drive from Cullen to notch his seventh success at the Kilkenny venue.
Willie Mullins nominated the Triumph Hurdle for Holy Orders after he landed a tidy gamble in the opening two mile maiden hurdle but the anticipated victory of newcomer Ultimate Accolade failed to the materialise in the finale.
The 1/2 market leader could finish only third behind pillar-to-post victor Be My Belle and Aidan Fitzgerald.
A disappointed Willie Mulllins said, 'This was the so-called unnamed horse that beat Davenport Milenium in a schooling bumper. I'd still be keen to bring him over to Cheltenham and wouldn't throw in the towel just yet.'
