THATS MY MAN, who was put down after breaking his off hind leg when cantering at Ballydoyle on Wednesday, is a serious loss to National Hunt racing. Aidan O'Brien's charge was regarded as a banker for Cheltenham's Citroen Supreme Novice Hurdle, being rated 7lb above any other novice in the country, especially over two miles.

When one considers that McManus's front running six year old gave 10lb and a trouncing to the subsequent Ladbroke Hurdle winner, Dance Beat, in a fast run conditions hurdle at Fairyhouse early in December, it can be seen what a loss he is. Unbeaten over timber, he was a fluent jumper with a high cruising speed.

"I'm devastated," said his regular rider Charlie Swan at Clonmel yesterday. "He was a serious horse definitely my banker for Cheltenham."

Fergie Sutherland, who has an impressive strike rate this season with his small team, saddled Go Go Gallant to complete his hat trick under top weight in the Ballyvaughan Handicap Chase. This home bred staying chaser jumped well and looked to have the measure of Bermuda Buck when that horse fell at the second last a fence that claimed four on the first circuit.

Go Go Gallant was ridden by 20 year old amateur Dinny Daly who rides the stable's star Imperial Call in his work. "Dinny says that Imperial Call is in super form improved if anything since he won the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, and that he's as strong as a lion," said Sutherland.

Imperial Call will be accompanied to Cheltenham by stable companion and half brother Lisselan Prince who will run in the Sun Alliance Chase.

There were no Festival bound horses in action yesterday, but Storm Damage, the six lengths winner of the opening Vee Hurdle under Charlie Swan, is well regarded by local trainer Ger Hourigan, who will prepare him for the Punchestown spring meeting.

He should have better ground there. He jumped a bit stickily on this bad going but was better on the looser ground at Gowran," said Hourigan. Connections yesterday turned down a tempting offer for this good looking four year old.

Similarly, Blazing Trail the length and a half winner of the novice chase, will do better when the going changes. This grey half brother to Art Trail, who was killed at Cheltenham some years ago, collared the long time leader Time and Charges close home. The latter looked certain to win as he raced more than 20 lengths clear on the downhill run to the straight, but Blazing Trail made his ground and was in touch on rising to the last fence. Trained by Pat Fahy, he was ridden by Sean O'Donovan.

Rider Gerry O'Neill was handed down a four day suspension for careless riding after he had landed the Powerstown Handicap Hurdle by two and a half lengths on the Austin Leahy trained Hakkinen, who collided with the runner up, The Wise Knight, soon after turning for home. The placings remained unaltered.

The grey Knockthomas was an easy winner of division one of the Templemore Maiden Hurdle. Trained by Francis Flood and ridden by his son Francis, the winner went for his race on facing up to the last.

The second division was won just as readily by the Simon Lambert trained, Kevin O'Brien partnered Ferrycarrigcrystal, who led Shisoma early in the straight.

Knockavilla, the three and a half lengths winner for Conor O'Dwyer of the Kilkenny Handicap Hurdle, Knockthomas and Ferrycarrigcrystal had finished fourth, seventh and eighth respectively behind Castlekellyleader in a Clonmel maiden earlier this month.