Excitement building with Rebel Fitz

Rebel Fitz never came off the bridle when bringing up his chasing five-timer in Tipperary’s Like A Butterfly Novice Chase (Grade 3).

This was his first foray into Graded company over fences and he gave Barry Geraghty a terrific spin round two and a half miles.

Geraghty settled Mick Winters’ eight-year-old gelding in third as Toostrong and Boxer Beat took the seven runners along. However, Rebel Fitz moved smoothly into the lead before the second last and Geraghty was motionless as he jumped the last two fences with great panache to win easily by three and a half lengths at 2/5. Owega Star jumped well and stayed on stoutly for second at 4/1. He was four and a quarter lengths ahead of Clar Na Mionn

Mick Winters said: “Barry was delighted with him and he said he won easy enough. He said he switched off today. He's one of the top horses over fences. There's great opportunities and great prize money so we'll tip away.

“He’ll go to Cheltenham on Friday week for a two and a half mile novice chase. Last year we threw him out for three months in the winter, but we won’t do that this year, but he won’t be running on the bad ground.

"The owner Brian Sweetnam is based in England and wants to see him for himself. He'll definitely be getting a break after Cheltenham."

Barry Geraghty added: “His jumping is as good as you get and it’s real poetry. He finds it so easy long or short and he’s really natural. The big thing was to get him switched off. I’d say two and a half miles is perfect for him.

“Some horses are just natural to chasing and he is one of them and time will tell how far he climbs, but he’s as good a novice as you would get.

"The experience of travelling over to Cheltenham and overnight will stand him in good stead. He’s Grade 1 material. He’s better on spring ground than winter ground. I doubt you’d see him running on soft or anything worse.”

Mick Winters also passed on the following about Missunited: "She's in great form, she's jumping out of her skin. She'll go to France at the end of October for a mile seven and a half furlong race and that's her last run. Hopefully the ground will be soft. Next year there'll be plenty of flat races."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes