Supporters of Treacle may have been alarmed to hear their runner might have departed the scene at a fence down the back in the Daily Mirror Chase at Down Royal. For those with their eyes close on the action though, there was no cause for alarm and Tom Taaffe's charge eventually led home a one two for the stable in the three and a quarter mile event. Ninetieth Minute (not helped by getting two out wrong) travelled well up the straight under Andrew McNamara but it was his David Casey-ridden stable companion Treacle that found most when required to prevail by four lengths.

Wife of Tom, Elaine Taaffe revealed: "I'm delighted for the owner (Bjorn Nielsen). The horse would have hated that ground as better ground suits him so well.

"The plan is for him and Ninetieth Minute to go to Aintree but we'll talk to the owners. I'm very pleased with Ninetieth Minute. I think he might have won the race had he not made a mistake two out.

"It's satisfactory to get them both through that. Bjorn has two horses with us."

Treacle has been cut to 33/1 (from 100s) for the Grand National with Stan James. They go 66/1 (from 100s) about Ninetieth Minute. (MG & EM)