Ornua did Henry de Bromhead proud when 2nd in the Grade 1 novices’ chase over at Sandown, and the Waterford trainer kept home fires burning in the Mervyn Gray Construction Beginners Chase at Navan with Chris’s Dream (11/4 into 15/8).

Robbie Power had to settle for sixth on the Robcour-owned favourite Envious Editor in the first, but he fared much better in the black, white and pink silks here.

With a point-to-point and very smart novice hurdling form Chris’s Dream had given every indication that racing over fences could be his true vocation.

The Mahler gelding cemented those thoughts in his initial attempt in a chase.

Though the final fence was bypassed due to damage that occurred on the previous circuit, Chris's Dream kept up the gallop from the front to beat Gun Digger by three lengths.

“It was a super ride from Robbie and he jumped great. He was great that day at Clonmel on the bottomless ground and nice to see that he doesn’t need that ground. It’s lovely to win your beginners like that and jump with that fluency," said de Bromhead.

“He’s in the three-mile at Leopardstown and we’ll see how he is after this race. I was impressed with him today. He’s probably more a three-mile horse and he won nicely over two and a half.

“Ornua ran super and was given a super ride by Dylan. On that ground he was probably taken on too much early on sadly, and it maybe caught him at the other end.”    

(AM & EM)