O'Loughlin to aim higher after Cedarwood Road obliges

The market principals fought out a good finish to the 5 Star Lyrath Estate Hotel Beginners Chase with the 11/10 favourite Cedarwood Road forging on after the last to score by two and three quarter lengths.

That one’s market rival Antey (7/4) led until hitting the third-last and ceding the advantage to the Derek O’Connor-ridden winner. In fairness to Antey, he dug in well and was almost on terms again at the last.

The two horses came close and bumped on landing, but the winner didn’t seem to be at fault and no enquiry was called after he asserted to get off the mark on his third over fences. Momus (20/1) was a distant third.

A dual winner as a novice hurdler including when beating Beacon Edge in a Listed contest at Naas, the Stowaway 6-year-old is being brought along steadily and his trainer Gearoid O’Loughlin feels he’s ready for a step up in class.

"I’m glad to get that out of the way. He didn’t like the ground and would rather go the other way around.

“I would love to have gone to Leopardstown on Monday with him for a beginners but we felt it could have dried out too much for a young horse like him. They are watering it tomorrow so you would be afraid to run him on it.

“I thought at least I would have a horse coming back out of this place.

“It’s only the sixth run of his life and Derek said he was still babyish.

“He’d be entitled to go for the Grade 1 novice at Fairyhouse. I’m not saying he’d win it but he’d be entitled to run there.

“I was more nervous about that race today than any race before.”

Quotes from Alan Magee