Review navan 21st Dec

Noel Meade's classy five-year-old Ned Buntline got off the mark over fences with a ready victory in the Navan Racecourse Membership Beginners Chase as the trainer recorded a treble.

Paul Carberry always loked at ease on the 11-8 favourite as he sat behind the front three coming down the straight in testing conditions, and when he hit the front at the second-last, the writing was on the wall.

Ned Buntline, a promising third to the highly regarded Ballycasey on his debut over the bigger obstacles last month, picked up well when required to resist Irish Thistle by two lengths.

The victory completed a double for the jockey and trainer after Festive Felon fifth in a strong Fairyhouse bumper on his only previous start last March, took the Slane Maiden Hurdle.

The six-year-old (8-1) led two out and kept on strongly to hold Willie Mullins' French recruit, the odds-on favourite Don Poli by half a length.

Meade landed his treble when 4-6 favourite Wounded Warrior stepped up from a promising third on his bumper debut to beat Killultagh Vic by two and a quarter lengths in the Athlumney INH Flat Race in the hands of Paul's sister Nina.

Mullins' impressive Cork winner Valseur Lido scored a bloodless victory in the Christmas Novice Hurdle, as starting odds of 1-12 suggested he would.

Davy Russell allowed the ex-French gelding to take charge at halfway and he skipped over his hurdles before dismissing the brief challenge of King William to score by an easy four and a quarter lengths.

Nothing could get to Oliver McKiernan's 16-1 shot Another Challenge down the straight in the 2014 Membership 'The Ideal Xmas Present' Handicap Hurdle and Paddy Mangan's mount won by four and a half lengths.

Robbie Power came with a powerful late run on top-weight Wither Hills (8-1) to snatch the Christmas Greetings Handicap Hurdle by half a length, and Keith Donoghue had the www.navanracecourse.ie Handicap Chase won by the last on Art Lord (14-1) before scoring by two and a half lengths.