Jumping wins the day for Pandorama

Castletown trainer Noel Meade has always maintained that jumping is the name of the game in national hunt racing and that old adage once again proved accurate in the big novice hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday. Pacemaker Pandorama proved best in the grade one Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown after he had made all in the four-runner race. However, it was starting to look ominous for Pandorama and jockey Paul Carberry as the odds-on favourite Cousin Vinny loomed up alongside Meade"s horse approaching the last flight. Cousin Vinny stumbled and unseated jockey Patrick Mullins at the last leaving Pandorama and Carberry in front. Pandorama is owned by Kinnegad man Robert Bagnall and Cheltenham may still be in the pipeline. 'I felt sorry for Willie Mullins as we are very good friends and you need luck in horseracing,' Meade told the Meath Chronicle. 'We"re all out there to win and it was a great boost to everyone, but it also looked like we were fortunate. 'Without doubt Pandorama will be a chaser and we won"t sicken him with too much racing this season. 'The original plan was to go for the Ballymore Properties Hurdle at Cheltenham, but we might go for the three-mile hurdle with him now, depending on the ground. 'He wasn"t right when he was beaten by Mikael D"Haguenet at Navan, he was lame behind for a week, but that was a good performance,' added Meade. Hurricane Fly was withdrawn before racing after he was found to be lame. Liam McAteer"s Celtic Strand could only manage sixth in the grade two hurdle for jockey Andrew Lynch who got a good run out of Notre Pere in the grade one Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup to finish second to English raiser Neptune Collonges. Trained at Kilsallaghan by Jim Dreaper, Notre Pere showed enough to suggest that he could make an impact at the Cheltenham Gold Cup next month, depending on the ground. Slane-based trainer Pat Martin enjoyed a good win with his ultra-consistent hunter chaser Agus A Vic which landed the Raymond Smith Memorial Hunters Chase. The gelding may be aimed at Aintree and Punchestown next. Nicanor returned to action at Gowran Park on Saturday and finished fourth in a beginners" chase. Trainer Meade indicated that Nicanor got tired in the closing stages and that either Fairyhouse at Easter or Punchestown would be next on the horizon. Meade also saw Jazz Messenger return to action with a solid performance in the grade two Red Mills Hurdle as he took the runner-up position.