Arteea enjoys virtual solo after main rival departs the scene at first fence

ANDREW MCNAMARA, who lost his claim recently, continued in a rich vein of form when partnering Arteea to an effortless win in the 45,000 Tote Exacta Ballybrit Novice Chase at Galway yesterday.

Third behind the classy pair Watson Lake and Accordion Etoile on his chasing debut at Limerick, Arteea did a virtual solo following the first fence fall of chief rival Kahuna and, despite looking around in front, made the rest of the running to beat Top Strategy easily by fifteen lengths in a four-runner Grade 3 affair in which only two finished.

“I suppose it was made easy for him,” admitted winning trainer Michael Hourigan, “But he jumped super for a horse that doesn’t like being in front. He won the Land Rover Bumper and, in the circumstances, did well to win twice over hurdles because all of mine were sick for most of last season. He has really taken to jumping fences and seems to handle all sorts of ground. He’ll run in some of the good ‘novices’ now.”