Days Hotel (centre) beats Toner D'Oudairies (right) and Twinlight© Photo Healy Racing
Days Hotel under Andrew Lynch, followed up last year's success in the Grade 2 Paddy Power Your Local Betting Shop Chase at Naas today and registered his sixth career success in the three runner race, for trainer Henry De Bromhead.
The winner made most of the running and while 4/11 favourite Twinlight was let down by sloppy and often 'to-the-right' jumping, Days Hotel himself blundered at the third last fence.
Twinlight was a spent force early in the home straight though and while Toner D'Oudairies gave chase to Days Hotel from two out, couldn't match the winner's pace. Days Hotel eventually won by five and a half lengths with Twinlight trailing home last of the trio.
De Bromhead later stated “his first run this season was good but his next few were disappointing and I thought it would be tough to turn the tables on Twinlight (on Cork form in December). He has really come to himself in the last two weeks though and we tested his (Twinlight's) jumping down the back.
“I'd like to go back up to 2m4f at some stage but not on this testing ground; we'll look at races like the Webster Cup at Navan and the Normans Grove Chase in Fairyhouse.”
By Thomas Weekes, quotes from Alan Magee
