WHATEVER the truth or conjecture concerning Arsenal’s problems Bruce Rioch received temporary

WHATEVER the truth or conjecture concerning Arsenal’s problems, Bruce Rioch received temporary comfort and saw encouraging commitment at Selhurst Park yesterday when two goals in four minutes brushed Wimbledon aside. According to some of Arsenal’s present and past inner circle, the rumours of discontent and warring factions at Highbury ought to be dismissed as nothing more than some creaks and groans, not a full-scale earthquake. The daughter of dual Champion Hurdler Monksfield was eased down in coming home 11 lengths clear, and her trainer, David Gandolfo, said: “She’s tough, and she’s improving.”. The eight-year-old, one of only two horses in Tommy Black’s Oswestry yard, jumped like buck throughout and ran on well to repel Lord Gyllene over the last two fences, and thoroughly justified his trainer’s decision to miss a re-match with the big guns last week.”I had doubts about the distance”, said Mrs Black, “And thought there were probably easier places to find out if he stayed than Cheltenham.”Garrylough is bound for Aintree after turning the Tattersalls Mares Chase final into a procession. He said: “I told Brendan to lead two out and nearly had a heart attack when I saw him go on so early. But he had plenty in the locker had the other horse stood up. Has the second finished yet?”Another Excuse, for whom his owners turned down a substantial offer earlier this week, and Feathered Gale are likely to meet again in the Irish National next month.There was an early boost to the Cheltenham form when Even Blue, fifth to Sun Alliance Chase winner Nahthen Lad on his previous outing, made all to win the Dermot Dunleavy Novices Chase in the hands of Don McCain.

And although the crowds at the little Staffordshire course were a far cry from the Cheltenham hordes, the winner’s owners, a vocal nine-man syndicate, gave their hero a repeat of the Cork anthem “On the Banks of My Own Lovely Lee” as he returned in triumph. The four and a quarter-mile contest in soft ground was a war of attrition up front as Nazzaro, Brackenfield and Merry Master cut out the pace for two of the three circuits, and as that trio began to feel their efforts, Brendan Powell slipped Another Excuse, trained by Eugene O’Sullivan, into the lead in the back straight.
Coming round the home turn with four to jump the only danger was Killeshin, who had made ground stealthily, but Another Excuse, an eight-year-old son of Mandalus, was still going strongly in the lead when the favourite came down two out.Feathered Gale, from Arthur Moore’s yard, plugged on into second place a distance adrift, with Moorcroft Boy third and Nazzaro fourth.O’Sullivan’s two previous winners in Britain included Lovely Citizen in the Cheltenham Foxhunters four years ago. THE Irish bandwagon rolled on here yesterday when Another Excuse and Feathered Gale gave the raiders a one-two in the day’s richest race, the Marstons Pedigree Midlands Grand National. Moseley and Waterloo were lifted by that nationwide support.My hope is that we can draw similar inspiration.”. Hill has employed a psychologist, Jack Lamport-Mitchell, to prepare the side for Saturday’s mind warfare. “Jack will see each of the players individually and then conduct a 40-minute team talk on the day of the match,” Hill said. “The aim is to calm the players down and get them focused on positive things.”What we have in our favour is that every side in the country will want to see Bath beaten.

The question now is whether Gloucester can conquer their own doubts Certainly, the club will not fail for want of trying. We never thought we could beat them.”Sandwiched between those two giant-killing acts was the 12-0 win by Leicester in the West Country. “But we each gave 110 per cent to compensate for the players missing and I think we wanted it more.”Liley reckons that victory on that day removed Leicester’s fear of visiting Bath thereafter Indeed the Tigers won in the league at the Rec this season. “Frankly, we expected to be steamrollered,” recalled John Liley, who kicked two penalty goals and converted Brian Smith’s virtuoso try.