Review downpatrick 2nd Mar

< Hughies Grey (8-1) put in a commanding performance to land the valuable Toals Boomakers Ulster Grand National EBF Handicap Chase at Downpatrick.

Trained by the Co Tyrone-based Mervyn Torrens and ridden by Michael Darcy, the seven-year-old was the least experience chaser in the field but he soon took control at the head of affairs and stayed on strongly to see off fellow locals Posh Bird and Selection Box < Brave Beauty and Nutin Fancy provided trainer Gordon Elliott with a double on his birthday.

The former was sent off at 8-1 in the hands of Paul Carberry for the Audrey Wood Memorial EBF Mares Novice Hurdle but ultimately coasted home by four and a half lengths from odds-on favourite Belle Brook

Nutin Fancy (9-4) was partnered by amateur Chris Cully and galloped home by five lengths from Baileys Ruffit in the concluding Crossgar Irish National Hunt Flat Race.

Elliott would also have been delighted to see Cully strike earlier on the card aboard Kanesh in the Taste Of Ulster Hunters Chase.

Mark Fagan's 7-1 shot, owned by the young jockey's father, Tom Cully, had been beaten 10 lengths by Elliott's Grand National hope Backstage in a point-to-point at Kirkistown and boosted the value of the form with a one and three quarter-length defeat of Island Peak

Oliver Brady's Garamor Boy (20-1) made every yard of the running to land the Martinstown Opportunity Maiden Hurdle.< Kid Curry layed down a strong challenge after the last but Martin Burke's mount skipped around the last bend and held on by a length and three quarters under strong pressure.< Eddie Zero pounced late in the piece to claim the Peter Meegan Memorial Handicap Hurdle for Jim Dreaper and Robbie Colgan.< Lookoutnow made a valiant bid from the front on his first public outing for Eoin Doyle but he was run out of it by the 40-1 winner.