Blazing Tempo a Cheltenham Festival contender after Fairyhouse success

Blazing Tempo, who took the Galway Plate in July, took the feature race in Ireland on Sunday when she stayed on too strongly for Noble Prince, the odds-on favourite, in the Grade Two Normans Grove Chase at Fairyhouse. Willie Mullins's mare has been running regularly since her win at Galway in the summer, but her improvement shows little sign of tailing off, and she is now quoted by bookmakers for both the Ryanair Chase and the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March. "She is holding her form and that was nice to win, given the ground," Mullins said. "We had the choice of coming here or going to the Boylesports Hurdle [next weekend] but rather than take on a handicap with 20 runners, we decided to take our chance today even though the ground might not be as suitable. "She's an iron mare and has been on the go since Galway and been doing it in all sorts of ground. She'll get an entry for the Ryanair Chase but I'm not sure if she's good enough." Blazing Tempo was one leg of a four-timer for Mullins, who also saddled winners with Vesper Bell, Ceol Rua and Champagne Fever. Vesper Bell, who like Blazing Tempo is owned by Rich Ricci, could now run in the Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle at the Festival, and is quoted at around 33-1 in ante-post lists, while Champagne Fever is the new 7-1 favourite with Coral for the Festival Bumper. Finian's Rainbow, the runner-up to Somersby in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot on Saturday, is likely to remain at a similar trip at the Festival, Nicky Henderson, his trainer, said on Sunday. "He seemed to do little wrong at Ascot apart from getting beaten and he seems a different horse this season," Henderson said. "Last year he was all over the place but some sense seems to be getting in there. I'd like to think there's a bit of improvement to come, I don't think he's at his absolute best yet. We did talk about going over further but I think we'll stick to two miles [in the Champion Chase]." Charlie Longsdon, a former assistant at Henderson's yard, reached 50 winners for the season for the first time when Loose Chips and Universal Soldier gave the trainer a double at Towcester on Sunday, in addition to Hildisvini winning at Market Rasen. "I'm delighted, although I thought Cross Of Honour was my best chance at Market Rasen and he was only second," Longsdon said. "It's our biggest total and if you have as many winners as you have horses, then you're doing well. We've got 60, so I guess we need 10 more now."