Some double as Mullins/Townend on Target

Some Target picked a good day to get off the mark over the larger obstacles when half-an-hour after the success of Golden Silver he landed the Association Of Irish Racehorse Owners Grand National Trial Handicap Steeplechase to provide Willie Mullins and Paul Townend with a double.

The successful seven-year-old Witness Box gelding led before the last and he beat off Noble Concorde by two lengths. He then had to survive a steward's enquiry after drifting right 100 yards from the finish as he was edging clear at the time. Noble Concorde was checked and hampered here and kept on afterwards to fill the runner-up berth.

The Captain Conflict Syndicate owned Some Target was backed from a morning price of as big as 10/1 into 9/2. He enjoyed the trip and the ground here and done well to prevail in the grueling three and a half mile contest given the fact that it was only his fourth run over fences.

Mullins said: "I'm particularly pleased as I thought he had a tough task with the weight he had in his first handicap.

"Going a slower pace helped suited his jumping. He'll keep to that type of race and the 4-miler would look the target for him at Cheltenham."

Some Target is 20/1 (from 33/1) for his Cheltenham target (the 4 mile National Hunt Chase) with Stan James.