Catch 22 for O'Grady

Edward O’Grady is no clearer to deciding Catch Me’s Cheltenham Festival - despite his bloodless victory at Navan.

The card was supposed to have taken place on Sunday but Navan agreed to put their fixture back by 24 hours after Leopardstown’s Hennessy meeting was delayed by a week.

It did not matter one jot to O’Grady’s classy hurdler as the 4-9 favourite strolled home in the Grade Two Ladbrokes.com Boyne Hurdle in the hands of Andrew McNamara.

But as the race was over the intermediate distance of two miles and five furlongs, O’Grady is still in the dark as to a suitable Festival race.

He was cut to 25-1 (from 33s) for the World Hurdle by William Hill, while Victor Chandler go 25-1 (from 40s) for the Champion Hurdle.

“I’m delighted and that was much easier than I anticipated,” said O’Grady.

“I really don’t know where he’ll go, although I’d love to go to Cheltenham.

“If it came up soft or heavy, I’d run him in the Champion Hurdle and I just don’t know how bullish I am about the stayers’ (World Hurdle).

“It’s a nice problem to have and then there’s always Aintree to consider as well.”

O’Grady and McNamara doubled up with Solstice Night in the Mirror Group Maiden Hurdle.

Fifth on his debut, the full brother to former Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Back In Front coasted home to beat fellow 6-4 market leader An Innocent Man by six lengths.

“He is so different to his full brother and he has the real cut of a chaser,” said O’Grady.

“He is entered at Cheltenham but I don’t know if he’ll go there, he had a bit of leg trouble as a four-year-old.”

Solstice Night was cut to 20-1 from 40s for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival.

Davy Russell won both of the other Grade Twos on the card.

The Tom Mullins-trained Made In Taipan bounced back to winning form in the Flyingbolt Novice Chase after a break.

His task was made slightly easier, though, by the early exits of Majestic Concorde and Cuan Na Grai.

“The two fallers took something away from the race and our horse was a little bit sluggish, although he did jump very well,” Mullins said of the 7-4 favourite.

“We’ll see how he comes out of this but if he comes out of it well, he’ll go for the Arkle at Cheltenham – although I would like to see a bit of cut in the ground.

“At least that win puts him back in the picture.”

He was cut to 20-1 from 33s for that contest by Victor Chandler.

Dessie Hughes’ Siegemaster won an eventful renewal of the Ten Up Novice Chase for Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary.

Hughes said: “Davy said afterwards that none of the horses really jumped in the race.

“The ground is like a quagmire and they were just getting stuck in it – at least he won anyway.”

Siegemaster has entries in the four-mile National Hunt Chase and the RSA Chase at the Festival.