Selection Box a Christmas winner

Selection Box set himself up for another tilt at the Ulster National in March with a game top weight success in the Martinstown Opportunity Novice Handicap Hurdle at Down Patrick today.

Ridden by promising claimer Adrian Heskin, the ten year old gelding eventually moved past the ex-Aidan O’Brien trained Liszt after the final flight before scoring a four lengths win.

Afterwards winning trainer Colin McBratney stated “the Ulster National is the lonterm plan.

“It’s very important that he has to go right-handed, and while we’ll see what the handicapper does now, we’ll probably find a race in the middle of January next. He’s a versatile horse distance-wise - it was only 2m2f today but he does stay well and from the bottom of the hill he wasn’t going to be beaten.”