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Keepatem the 7-4 favourite was never travelling well but kept on to take third

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Keepatem, the 7-4 favourite, was never travelling well but kept on to take third."We might come back for the Dr P J Moriarty Novice Chase on Irish Hennessy day," O'Leary said. "If he goes to Cheltenham, it will be for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase, but I want to do the right thing by the horse."Tom Taaffe unleashed a smart type in the bumper, which he took in 2002 with King George VI Chase winner Kicking King, in Finger Onthe Pulse, who strode home in the same purple and white silks as his stable star.* Ted Durcan took the honours at Nad Al Sheba on Saturday night when riding a treble, highlighted by his victory on UAE 2,000 Guineas candidate Clasp. Although he will have to take two weeks off, the injuries are soft tissue - he had to have a five-inch splinter surgically removed from his arm and needed eight stitches - and should not unduly hamper his preparations for the World Championships. Alzamora, who later apologised to Hayles, was warned for dangerous riding."It definitely wasn't my fault this time," a bruised and battered Hayles said, referring to the crashes he suffered in this event in both the Sydney and Athens Olympics "I just didn't see him coming I had my hand out for the changeover and then I was hit. "Nearly every rider performed to the top of their ability," he said. Wiggins will concentrate on road racing for the next two years, but will return to the track in time for the Beijing Olympics.Steven Cummings, making his madison debut, took Wiggins' place but his inexperience was reflected when he fell in both qualifying and the early stages of the final, after which he needed stitches in a leg injury. I was at the top of the curve, so it was a long way down."Victoria Pendleton was unable to add to her two silver medals when she was eliminated from the keirin in a rep?age, but there was a highly encouraging performance by Nikki Harris, aged 18, who finished in fifth place in the scratch race on her World Cup debut.Dave Brailsford, Britain's performance director, was delighted with his team's work.

Three other riders were brought down, but it was Hayles who came off the worst, damaging his hip and arm. However, it was a crash involving Cummings' highly experienced partner that finally put paid to the Britons' hopes.Hayles, high up on the banking, was about to hand over to Cummings when the Spaniard Miguel Alzamora, changing his line, thumped into him from behind. Added to the four silver medals they won over the weekend, it gave Britain overall victory in a round of the World Cup for only the second time and put the team in good heart for the World Championships in Los Angeles in March.Having set the third-fastest time ever by a British team during qualifying, Maclean, Queally and Hoy led Poland all the way in the final to win by one and a half seconds and make up for the disappointment they suffered in last summer's Olympic Games. Bradley Wiggins may have made his last appearance on the boards for two years, but the evidence of the World Cup meeting which ended in Manchester yesterday is that British track cycling remains in excellent shape. Following the victories of Chris Hoy in the one-kilometre time trial on Friday and the men's 4,000 metres pursuit team on Saturday, the men's sprint team of Craig Maclean, Jason Queally and Hoy won a third gold for Britain yesterday. Ladbrokes: 4-1 Kauto Star, 12-1 Cloone River, Ned Kelly, Royal Alphabet, 14-1 Foreman, Newmill, 16-1 others.Champion Hurdle (15 March) William Hill: 3-1 Harchibald, 6-1 Back in Front, 8-1 Hardy Eustace, Macs Joy, 9-1 Accordian Etoile, 10-1 Brave Inca, 12-1 Rooster Booster, 20-1 Inglis Drever, 25-1 Royal Shakespeare, Solerina, 33-1 Essex, Intersky Falcon, Lingo, Westender, 40-1 others.. The Mazin Al Kurdi-trained colt, who ran twice in Britain for Michael Bell, won a maiden in facile fashion to earn a tilt at the Guineas on 10 February.Arkle Chase (Cheltenham, 15 March) William Hill: 7-2 Kauto Star, 6-1 Fundamentalist, 12-1 Cloone River, Contraband, 14-1 River City, Royal Alphabet, 16-1 Foreman, Made In Japan, Mariah Rollins, Quazar, Watson Lake, 20-1 Ned Kelly, Newmill (from 33-1), Sir Ojay, 25-1 others.

The leader was far from fluent at the third-last and Geraghty kicked for home. The 100-30 shot was quickly clear, but tired after the last and had just enough in reserve to hold off the renewed challenge of Strong Project by two lengths. He is a handy horse and is only rising five, so whatever he does this year will be a bonus."William Hill have added Essex to their Champion Hurdle betting at 33-1 and have tightened Newmill, winner of the day's novice chase, to 20-1 from 33-1 for the Arkle Trophy at the Festival, even though the Royal & SunAlliance Chase is a more likely target.Tom O'Leary's charge, one of the best novice hurdlers in Ireland last season, travelled well throughout the Grade Two contest behind Strong Project. Michael O'Brien's five-year-old bounded clear turning for home, but as Mansony emerged from the chasing pack to draw alongside the leader, Essex began to idle. The 5-1 favourite, responding to Geraghty's urgings, pulled out more on the run-in and was a length clear at the line."He won the Irish Cesarewitch over two miles on the Flat, so I knew he would get home today," Geraghty said. "He just idled at the last, but as soon as Philip Carberry [on Mansony] came to me, he picked up and had plenty in the tank by the time he got to the line."O'Brien added: "The horse wears cheek-pieces because he is inclined to look around. He was in front too long and nearly threw it away at the last."It is a very hard race to win, and I have been trying for years to win it.

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