Review THURLES 19TH JAN

Newmill transferred his recent top-class hurdle form to the larger obstacles to capture the Grade 2 Kinloch Brae Chase under Robbie Power for John Murphy.

'He settled and travelled well, I was happy with the way things turned out and he got a great ride,' was the way Murphy summed up his biggest success as a trainer.

Held up in rear, the 5/1 shot improved smoothly on the final circuit, hit the front away from two out, and he stayed on well on the run-in to beat Mossy Green by 5L.

'He is best fresh and better ground would be appreciated so the Champion Chase might be the aim without another run before,' suggested the Upton, Co. Cork handler.

Even money favourite, Hi Cloy was unable to quicken and his supporters knew their fate from five out. Meanwhile, a couple of jumping errors were no help to Strong Project.

Michael Hourigan said of the market-leader, 'the ground was a bit gluey and he didn't ever really travel on it.'

Robbie Power had a day to remember as he completed a 26/1 double in the chief supporting event, the Grade 3 Mares Novice Chase on Court Leader.

The Tom Mullins-trained daughter of Supreme Leader got the better of a fantastic battle on the run-in with the Liz Lalor-ridden, Carrigeen Kalmia, the margin of victory being a head.

'I've waited 30 years for a horse like this, he has boot and he stays,' was the reaction of Liam Burke to the performance of his Thyne Again in the novice hurdle.

Unfortunately Wild Ocean pulled up badly injured and was put down having jumped just five hurdles. Davy Russell led two out on the winner and he was soon clear on the way to a convincing 5L success.

Burke commented on future plans, 'he'll have a break now and he will go to Fairyhouse or Punchestown. Fences will be the making of him though.'

Russell doubled his score on Campanella in the winners of 1 hurdle. John Kiely's mare returned with a cut to a leg which was quite probably sustained when awkward at the last.

This course and distance winner landed three races on the flat in France and Germany and was bought there. She is a half-sister to Nicky Henderson's Caracciola.

Conor O'Dwyer, rider of the eye-catcher here, Gaza Strip (dead-heated for 2nd), reported to the stewards that his mount got outpaced in the back straight before staying on past tiring rivals.

In the same ownership and with the same name as the 2003 Irish Greyhound Derby winner, Climate Control just held off the late rally of Ballistraw by a head in the hunter chase.

Trained by John Paul Brennan and ridden by Colin Motherway, the injury-prone 10yo has the Cheltenham Foxhunters as his objective with Leopardstown on Hennessy Day to come first.

George Kent suggested a disappointing effort at the Foxrock venue last time was due to Bally Scanlon's preference for a right-handed track as his gelding made it three from four in the opener.

Pat Crowley got to the front between the last two on his regular mount and a brilliant leap here took him to a 1 1/2L win over Champion Gold.

Eamonn Sheehy's day brightened somewhat after losing Wild Ocean. His Holly Tree took the bumper in the hands of Nina Carberry.