Bog Warrior has arrived A bad mistake seven out effectively sealed the fate of favourite First Lieutenant (eventually pulled up – burst a blood vessel) in the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase but another Gigginstown House Stud-owned runner stole the show – Bog Warrior impressively making a lot of the running under Ruby Walsh (doubling up after Sous Les Cieux's win). The lightly-raced seven-year-old son of Strategic Choice put in an exhibition of jumping and stayed on strongly at the business end to slam Shinrock Paddy by all of thirty one lengths. The other three distances were five lengths, fifty one lengths and thirty six lengths back to Rivage D'Or, Imperial Shabra and Alpha Ridge. Winning trainer Tony Martin said: "He has always shown us from the first day that he's a good horse. "We always knew he could be something special if we kept him right. He just had a little setback early on. "I couldn't be more happy with him – he is definitely a Grade 1 horse – he's a proper horse. "Every day he runs he gets better. "If he's well and right he'll run at Leopardstown at Christmas. He is in the two novices and he could go over two or three miles. "We won't rush him, Ruby said when he got down off him to mind him. "Down the road he could be a horse for the Hennessy or the Lexus. "I don't know about Cheltenham and he'd only go there on if the ground was on the soft side of yielding. "We'll get Christmas and the New Year out of way first." Boylesports go 10/1 Bog Warrior for the RSA Chase and Sean Graham go the same price for the same race. (GC & EM)
