Scarlet And Dove soars to Fairyhouse win

Scarlet And Dove went two better than last year's third in the John & Chich Fowler Memorial EBF Mares Chase to land the spoils at Fairyhouse on New Year's Day.

A bronze medallist in the Grade Three event behind Mount Ida and Elimay 12 months ago, Joseph O'Brien's charge was sent off the 6-4 favourite this time and the market looked to have got it right as the nine-year-old and second-favourite Dolcita came to the fore at the business end of the contest.

Jumping the last together, it was Scarlet And Dove who had more in hand up the running, pushed out by Bryan Cooper to score by just shy of five lengths and record her seventh win in 19 starts.

The daughter of Jeremy was narrowly denied Cheltenham Festival glory when finishing third in a photo finish in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase last year and the Owning Hill handler is now targeting a return to Prestbury Park for the Gigginstown-owned mare in the spring.

"She is always a difficult filly to get fit and all her career she has improved from her first run of the year. I felt she had come on," said O'Brien.

"I was impressed. They are two good mares and they sprinted up the straight and left behind a good mare.

"She will run somewhere between now and Cheltenham. She ran in the Thyestes last year but we will probably find a mares' chase for her somewhere and then on to Cheltenham.

"She ran well there last year and there is no reason why she wouldn't do it again this year."

James Du Berlais added his name to Willie Mullins' novice chasing riches with a faultless display on his fences debut.

Although a four-time winner in France, the son of Muhtathir was also narrowly denied at Grade One level twice when trained by Robert Collet, and has been tried in the highest possible company in