DANOLI CAME good in winning yesterday's prestigious Denny Gold Medal Chase at Leopardstown in front of a massive crowd of over 18,000. To the roars of this delighted fans, the gelding won easily from the Paul Webber-trained Land Afar.

It was an excellent performance and should connections opt fearlessly for the Cheltenham Gold Cup the allegiance of Irish National Hunt enthusiasts will be split between him, the so called "People's Champion", this year's Blue Riband winner Imperial Call and possibly his old rival and fellow novice Dorans Pride.

But there is plenty of ground to cover between now and Cheltenham where Danoli has other and perhaps more realistic choices in the Arkle Challenge Trophy and the Sun Alliance Chase.

He enjoyed being at the head of affairs yesterday and apart from a novice-like blunder at the fourth fence and again at the third last jumped well. Safely over the last he fairly sped away to win by six lengths under a good ride by his regular partner Tom Treacy.

The ground was pretty dead which really does not suit Danoli, but as trainer Tom Foley said it was not as bad as at Naas where the horse won his second chase. The well supported Jeffell fell in contention at the penultimate fence as did Kharasar who was making significant ground.

"That opens all the doors to us again including the Gold Cup, maybe," enthused Foley afterwards.

The trainer will enter Danoli in both the Baileys Arkle Cup back at Leopardstown next month and the Hennessy Irish Gold Cup, also at Leopardstown, early the following month.

"Now that he has learned from his Fairyhouse fall and won so well today, I won't be at all shy about entering him for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham to keep our options open," added Foley.

"He will also be in the Irish Gold Cup here in February and as I am keen to get some match practice he may come back here too for the Arkle Cup."

Winning jockey Tommy Treacy commented: "He was more like the old Danoli today keen to get on with the job and he showed that he learned from Fairyhouse to respect his fences more.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet!" declared Kevin Prendergast after I'm Supposin had made a highly impressive debut over timber to win the Kerry Spring Maiden Hurdle and may now be on course for next year's Champion Hurdle - which for once does not look that formidable.

I'm Supposin, who on several occasions ran well in top company on the Flat and in the summer won the Ulster Harp Derby, has also been entered for the novice hurdles at Cheltenham.

The four-year-old has little experience to date but so had previous champions Royal Gait and Alderbrook. Prendergast says this is the highest rated Flat horse he has trained over hurdles and having saddled Talgo Abbess to finish third behind Saucy Kit and Aurelius in the early 60s, who knows what it takes to win a Champion Hurdle.

Obviously well-schooled, Davy Brennan's I'm Supposin jumped well and made no errors apart from being a trifle slow over the second last when looking all over the winner. In command over the last he raced away under John Shortt to beat the experience Saving Bond by four lengths. A good performance on the dead ground.

There was also a lot to like about Finnegan's Hollow who in a few strides overcame an awkward looking sprawl at the last to win the opening Waifos Maiden Hurdle, going away from Be Home Early and the pace-setting Digin For Gold.

J P McManus's winner was unsuited to a tardy early gallop but this raw six-year-old, "a good work horse" according to trainer Aidan O'Brien, will improve and is earmarked for the two mile Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham.

McManus also won the Denny Juvenile Hurdle with the lightly-raced Christy Roche-trained Grimes who in the hands of Conor O'Dwyer held the late challenge of Greenhue by the skin of his teeth. A weak gelding, Grimes is named after his owner's friend Eamonn Grimes, who captained the successful Limerick team in the 1973 All-Ireland Hurling Final and was backed from an early stage that year by a youthful J P.

. There was a bizarre incident in Australia yesterday when a jockey switched horses in mid race! Apprentice Andrew Payne, 17, started the Christmas Handicap at Caulfield aboard Hon Kwok Star and was near the rear of the field when another horse, Cogitate, stumbled next to him. Cogitate's jockey, Payne's brother-in-law Jason Patton, was thrown from the saddle, causing Hon Kwok Star to lose balance.

Thrown sideways in his saddle, Payne found his arm across Cogitate and pulled himself aboard to finish the race safely, but well down the field, as his brother-in-law lay dazed but uninjured on the turf. "When I looked up and saw where I was I couldn't believe it," Payne said.