Racing: Right result for Cockney Lad

He sounded as though he should have been one of the invaders, but Cockney Lad's win in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown yesterday was definitely a victory for Ireland over Britain in the phoney wars that will lead up to Cheltenham.

The Irish have not won a Champion Hurdle since Dawn Run in 1984, but there is more than a fragment of hope that the drought will end this year. Two of Britain's more promising hurdlers - the David Nicholson pairing of Escartefigue and Zabadi - were badly beaten yesterday, while the career of Alderbrook, the 1995 champion, ended last week. Cockney Lad himself, who earned a 33-1 quote for Cheltenham from William Hill, looks much in the same mould as Collier Bay, who won this race 12 months ago without getting much credit for it.

Cockney Lad, who is trained at Navan in Co Meath by Noel Meade, pounced close home to beat the favourite, Theatreworld. Charlie Swan, on the runner- up, probably did not hear the winner coming as his own horse was making such a racket. "Theatreworld's wind problem is troubling him again and that's why he didn't quite get home," he said.

Richard Hughes, Cockney Lad's jockey, had moans of his own as he was deemed to have used his whip excessively. The biggest win of the predominantly Flat jockey's jumps career was met by a four-day suspension.

David Bridgwater reported that Escartefigue needed both the race and softer ground, while the former excuse was also forwarded by Zabadi's jockey, Adrian Maguire. The Irishman missed his first ride at the meeting, on Namoodaj, as his plane was delayed by fog. When he touched down in Dublin, Maguire was afforded a presidential transfer to Leopardstown in a black limousine flanked by police vehicles, He did not miss out on a win bonus though as Namoodaj did not exhibit that National Hunt racing is his first love as he disappeared from the Triumph Hurdle ante-post list.

David Nicholson, his trainer, reported that all his horses seemed to be short of a run except for Mulligan, and he did not to be at his fittest in the Arkle Challenge Cup (Novices') Chase after Danoli reaccquainted himself with turf at the second fence. Ireland's favourite racehorse returns to the course in two weeks' time to determine whether he goes for Cheltenham's Arkle Trophy or the Gold Cup at the Festival. This further demonstration of chasing fallibility persuaded William Hill to make him 33-1 (from 16- 1) for the latter event.

The winner's agenda is already established. "Mulligan will have one more run at Warwick next month before we go for the Arkle at Cheltenham," Nicholson said. "He jumped spectacularly and ran them off their feet and, what's more, finished with plenty in the tank."

Saturday's developments at Haydock saw Mistinguett cut for timber's blue riband after her victory in the Champion Hurdle Trial. The mare beat Dato Star, who ran with his tongue tied down with stockings belonging to the wife of his trainer, Malcolm Jefferson, and the favourite, Bimsey, who ran as if his mouth also contained a stocking, with a leg inside it.

On the same card, Jodami proved he is not quite ready for the taxidermist just yet when collecting the Peter Marsh Handicap Chase. Norman Williamson, his jockey, was banned for four days for marking Jodami with his whip.

Williamson once again finds himself in the middle of a racing partnership as Mark Dwyer, Jodami's regular jockey, recovers from a broken elbow. "I will see the specialist next Friday and hopefully he will say that I can start doing some physio," Dwyer said yesterday, adding that he was most impressed by the gelding's first victory in over a year. "The [Grand] National would be very much his race and I will be very keen to ride him," he said. "The Aintree fences would be no problem for him and I think he would enjoy it."

Jodami's nearest victim, Unguided Missile, remains on course for the Gold Cup, despite his defeat. "I was happy with him and I thought he ran well because they broke the track record and the jockey on the winner got four days for overuse of the whip," Gordon Richards, his trainer, said yesterday.

Team Greystoke is likely to take the sheets off two of its other Gold Cup aspirants at Cheltenham this Saturday. One Man will attempt to disprove the theory that his nemesis resides at Prestbury Park in the Pillar Chase, while Addington Boy may run earlier on the same card.

CHAMPION HURDLE (Cheltenham, 11 March): William Hill: 3-1 Collier Bay, 6-1 Large Action & Space Trucker, 10-1 Sanmartino, 14-1 Dato Star & Mistinguett.