HORSE RACING: The Queen Mother Champion Chase on day two of the Cheltenham Festival meeting (March 12th) is next on the agenda for Native Upmanship, who justified prohibitive odds in the Grade Two Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles yesterday.

The Arthur Moore-trained gelding appears best suited by this intermediate distance of two and a half miles and, after leading approaching the final fence, stretched clear under Conor O'Dwyer to beat Arctic Copper by a facile three and a half lengths.

"That's a nice confidence booster and, while the Ritz Club Chase at Ascot next month is tempting, he will go straight for the Queen Mother," said Moore, who also confirmed that the gelding will bid to follow up last year's win in "the two and a half miler at Aintree". Bookmakers prices for the Queen Mother were left unchanged after the performance, with Cashmans going 12 to 1 Native Upmanship.

Be My Belle could still line out in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday week despite finishing only third in the novice chase. The Seán Treacy-trained mare lost considerable ground when reluctant at the start, and could only keep on one-paced behind Come In Moscow.

"She jumped her way to the front, and Keith (Hadnett) gave her a great ride," said successful trainer John Murphy, while Treacy was not too downbeat afterwards: "It's easy to make excuses but she lost 15 lengths at the start, and was beaten only eight. The shorter trip on a tighter course was also against her."