Betfair Novice S´chase (Grade 3) of €36,000.00 5-y-o plus 2m. 1f.

1st - €23,436.00, 2nd - €7,200.00, 3rd - €3,600.00, 4th - €1,440.00 6 Ran

Just three finished here as Perce Rock made it two on the bounce over fences in the hands of Tony McCoy. Connections opted to make more use of the winner here and according to Fozzy Stack afterwards, it is a plan that will be adopted at Punchestown next month.

Perce Rock still wouldn?t overfill punters with confidence in his jumping as he still brushes through the odd one but it certainly is a radical improvement from his earlier days.

His main market rival Clopf was pulled up before the last with trainer Edward O?Grady reporting that his jockey Andrew McNamara felt that the horse wasn?t 100%. He was settled in third by McNamara and just never really travelled with the zest of a winner and it is quite likely that something was bothering him from early on.

However on the official Turf Club report the Turf Club Vet found Clopf to be post race normal.

Having parted company with his rider on four of his five previous starts Drunken Disorderly got around safely here and matched strides with the eventual winner for a long period but just couldn?t pick up when Perce Rock quickened away and finished nine-lengths adrift.

The only other finisher was Medicinal but he was 21-lengths off Drunken Disorderly and 30 behind the winner. Martin Brassil?s charge has failed to build on some good runs earlier in his chasing career but a slight drop in class should see him return to the winners enclosure.

Coolgreaney was prominent until she blundered badly giving Tom Doyle no chance at all to maintain the partnership. Fred?s Benefit was also pulled up before the last with Ruby Walsh reporting that his mount ?never travelled.?