His song is set to have a trial around Cheltenham next month after taking his score to two from two over fences at Punchestown yesterday.
The giant gelding was virtually faultless in winning the Dunstown Wood Chase by 11 lengths, and Mouse Morris has a £20,000 Grade Two Novices Chase at Cheltenham's Murphy's meeting on November 15th in mind next.
"It would be great for him to have a run around Cheltenham at this stage," Morris said. Such a run would obviously be with March's festival in mind, and His Song looked so good yesterday that Graham's bookmakers quote him at 10 to 1 for the Sun Alliance Chase and 14 to 1 for the Arkle Trophy.
Tony McCoy was in no doubt that the long term will see His Song come into his own over the longer distances.
"He will be better eventually over a trip. You would have to question whether he is a real two-mile horse, but he has so much class he can get away with it. He jumped much better today and was very impressive," said the British champion jockey.
Morris was also impressed with His Song's jumping. "He shortened when he had to. He is clever and very agile for such a big horse," he said. A possible alternative to Cheltenham for His Song would be to return to Punchestown for the Irish Field Chase.
His Song took it over from Greenflag Princess after the second last yesterday, where Space Trucker had slipped and fallen. But Space Trucker is still an intended runner at Ascot in eight days. Snow Dragon looked a different horse on his favoured soft ground when landing the Rathmore Hurdle with an impressive turn of foot off the turn in. That burst was enough to settle the contest and allow Paul Carberry coast home in his own time from Montana Glen, with the favourite, Rathbawn Prince, only third.
"He loves the soft. He hated the going in the Triumph Hurdle and he wouldn't let himself to at all at Listowel," said Noel Meade who reported his impressive novice Cardinal Hill to be in perfect shape after his Navan win on Wednesday.
A visit to the Turf Club in the morning cost Richard Dunwoody £500, but there was nice compensation with Manus The Man, who won the maiden hurdle in some style and could turn out again for a handicap at Galway on Monday.
"That is the race which was Derrymoyle's first handicap," said trainer Michael Cunningham, who was surprised with the winner's 13 to 2 starting price. "He was sticking out on the form of his last race at Listowel and we were hoping he'd win," Cunningham smiled.
Man Of The Sea splashed his way to an impressive win under Paul Scallan in the juvenile maiden, while Mrs Evans just edged out Cotopaxi under a strong drive from Shane Kelly.
