REST OF REPORT
A LUCKLESS outing at Easter was consigned to distant memory as the improving Snugsborough Hall bagged a lucrative success in the €60,000 Pigsback.com Handicap Chase.
At Fairyhouse last time the Liam Cusack inmate was carried out by an errant rival at the second last when looking poised to pounce but there was to be no such hard luck this time. Snugsborough Hall cruised through a strongly-run race for Denis O’Regan and when he moved into a challenging position with two to jump, he almost immediately put his rivals to the sword, beating Impact Factor by 11 lengths.
The versatile 11/4 favourite, who is owned by the Rising Sun Partnership, was making it three wins from his last four starts and has progressed notably well as he has dropped in trip over the course of the season. Prior to Christmas, he was actually placed over three and a quarter miles.
“The race worked out well for him. There was plenty of pace on and he settled well. I thought this morning that he was short enough in the betting considering it was a better race than Fairyhouse and contained Cheltenham and Aintree winners,” stated Cusack.
“He’s progressing well and had a light weight to help. Earlier in the season I ran him over longer trips to get him to learn to settle which he is doing now. It’s great for everyone to have a winner like this here. He’s probably the nicest horse that I have and hopefully he will keep progressing.”
A six-strong assault by Willie Mullins on the Grade B Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle over three miles yielded a victory for the useful novice My Sister Sarah aboard whom Paul Townend replaced the retired Ruby Walsh.
The well-backed 4/1 favourite had shaped better than the final result on her last two starts and duly confirmed that impression. The Barnane Stud-owned daughter of Martaline was traveling smoothly in a share of the lead turning into the straight and knuckled down well when required to make sure of a two-length victory over Young Ted who didn’t help his cause with a last flight error.
“She got into a good bit of trouble at Fairyhouse last week and she’s not the biggest so she can get intimidated when she has other horses around her. Paul got her to the outside and got her racing today and that was a good performance. She’s one we might now try on the flat,” commented the champion trainer.
Elfile made it a treble on the day for Willie Mullins in the Listed Close Brothers Mares’ Novice Hurdle over two miles.
Eleven days after chasing home Honeysuckle in a Fairyhouse Grade 1, the smart Kenny Alexander-owned daughter of Saint Des Saints readily justified 9/10 favouritism for Paul Townend as she dispatched the 16/1 chance Rhythm Divine by 10 lengths.
“Ideally she wants two and a half miles but her slick jumping enabled her to counteract that. Paul felt the ground was quick enough for her so we will look forward to next winter with her and I’d say she might stay hurdling,” declared Mullins.
Trainer Peter Maher cherishes winners at Punchestown like no other and for the second time in his career he claimed the Mongey Communications La Touche Cup as fortune finally smiled on Ballyboker Bridge.
A chance spare ride for Sean Flanagan after he replaced J.J. Slevin who was stood down after a fall in first, Ballyboker Bridge is a regular in banks races at this track and he had won two cross-country chases here in the past but never at the Festival.
This was his fourth try in the La Touche following thirds in 2018 and 2016 and a fall in 2015 when he held every chance at the second last.
This time though the James McKeon-owned Ballyboker Bridge was not to be denied. He produced a bold and surefooted effort from the front and kept on strongly from the second last to hand a 25-length beating to the 50/1 chance Vital Island.
“He got a good ride from Sean but I have to say that a lot of the work with this horse was down by Gary Murphy who rode him earlier in his career when he was a bad jumper and no one wanted to ride him,” exclaimed a delighted Maher.
“He doesn’t really stay the four and a quarter miles so I said to Sean to try and slow it up with every chance that he got. There is only one La Touche. I just love the La Touche. We do a lot of pre-training, we don’t really train, but all the same we have trained a winner at the Punchestown Festival for every year for six or seven years.”
Jessica Harrington got off the mark for the week as Polished Steel (16/1) bounced back from a midfield finish at Fairyhouse the previous week in the two-mile JLT Handicap Hurdle.
A third winner of this race in six years for the trainer, the Joe O’Flaherty-owned gelding was showing in front from early which meant he was able to avoid some of the scrimmaging and trouble in running that befell some of his rivals.
Misty Millie and Put The Kettle On threatened in the straight but an unyielding Polished Steel finished with a length and three-quarters to spare.
“He stood too far off the second hurdle at Fairyhouse and made a terrible mistake and he didn’t jump well after that,” commented Harrington. “He settled very well in front and I’d say he will stay going for the summer. We’ll try him in a flat maiden at some stage too.”
Only four went to post for the Kildare Post (C&G) Flat Race but they were all winners and they served up a cracking finale with a length covering the first four home. Odds-on favourite The Big Getaway began to wind up the tempo some way from home but could never shake off his opponents.
He seemed to have the better of Fury Road early in the straight but couldn’t deal with the steady effort of the Mark O’Hare-ridden Sixshooter who got on top in the closing stages.
The son of Well Chosen, who was the outsider of the field at 8/1, was making his first start in the Gigginstown House Stud colours following his debut success in a four-year-old bumper at Leopardstown two months ago.
“I couldn’t believe the price he was earlier today as we think he’s a very nice horse,” commented Noel Meade. “He’s still as green as grass and he’s one to look forward to for novice hurdles next season. He’ll be left off for the summer now.”
Whip bans
THE riders of the first three home in the bumper all pick up whip bans. Mark O’Hare and Patrick Mullins were given a day each, while Lisa O’Neill was suspended for three days.
ACTING STEWARDS
J. Weld, N. McCaffrey, M. Hickey, J. Rearden, P.D. Matthews
HORSE TO FOLLOW
SILVER STAR (G. Elliott): He ran quite well to finish sixth to Polished Steel in the opening handicap hurdle. On several occasions he met trouble in running and with better luck would at least have been placed. He should be able to make his mark in a handicap over the coming months.