Clay the class act in Lawlor’s The Yellow Clay made it four from four over hurdles with a dominant display in the Grade 1 Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle this afternoon. Gordon Elliott’s charge tracked the front-running pair of Wingmen and Plontier in the two-and-a-half mile contest before coming to press his stablemate turning for home. He went on from Wingmen after the second last and galloped on strongly for Sam Ewing in the closing stages. Supersundae kept on to take the runner-up spot but could only get within eight lengths of the convincing winner. Elliott, who trains the 11/4 winner and the third Wingmen for Noel and Valerie Moran, said afterwards:- “He just knows how to win and is improving the whole time. I was very worried about the ground and was undecided about running him but I rang Noel who is in Turkey and he gave me the green light.   “They went a good gallop all the way and Wingmen ran a good race as well.   “I’d imagine he will go straight to Cheltenham now. I loved the way he travelled today and if anything, he probably got there plenty soon. Sam said he hated the ground.   “The race in Navan, where he was a bit behind the bridle, probably helped to wake him up.   “A homebred Grade 1 winner for Bective is great. He’s in the game for the long haul and this is what it’s all about.” Paddy Power made the winner a 8/1 shot (from 12/1) for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and 7/1 (from 20/1) for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle. Cheltenham bumper winner Jasmin De Vaux went to post 11/8 favourite but his jumping let him down and he could only finish fourth. (Quotes by Alan Magee)
