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MARK Walsh returned to a warm round of applause across the winner’s enclosure when it was announced that he had ridden his 900th career winner aboard J.P. McManus mainstay Dinoblue in the Grade 2 Hanlon Concrete Irish EBF Glencarraig Lady Francis Flood Mares Chase.

The evergreen 40-year-old might not be the number-one rider in the green and gold as of next week, but he has ridden over 720 of his career winners in the famous colours and appeared to thoroughly enjoy this one on a mare winning her fourth chase in a row this season.

Only By Night, a length and three quarters behind Dinoblue when second at Cheltenham last time, tried to find any chinks in the 2/5 favourite’s armour by bowling along in front. Those efforts proved unsuccessful, though, and Walsh didn’t have to ask her any big questions to land this by six and a half lengths from a running-on Spindleberry.

The now back-to-back winner of this race has an occasional mistake in her locker and an error at the third last was her only scare on the way around here.

“What more can you say about this mare?” said Frank Berry, racing manager to McManus.

“She turns up every day and has been great. She had one little blip down the back but Mark was very happy with her. Touch wood, she’ll be back next season. There is a great programme now for the mares, so there would be no reason why she wouldn’t come back.”

Asked whether he could recall many McManus-owned mares to have matched Dinoblue’s record of 11 blacktype chase wins, Berry added: “I’d say none of them have. She’s a rare one, never lets us down and turns up every day. Willie has done a fabulous job with her to keep her sweet and Mark gets on great with her.”

No weight issues

Mullins has a remarkable record with top-weights in the €100,000 QuinnBet Novice Handicap Chase and Funiculi Funicula - only 1lb off being the top-rated here - made it a quickfire double for the yard under Paul Townend as a well-fancied 7/2 shot.

The recent Cork winner, carrying the colours of Michael O’Riordan and Seamus Hennessy, was making his first start in a handicap chase off 141.

“It was a good performance - he’s a horse that we always liked,” said assistant trainer David Casey.

“He got beat in his first couple of beginners’ chases but did well to win at Cork and he was good today. He just got a little bit low [at the second last] but he’s only a novice and his jumping is improving.

“Hopefully it’s onwards and upwards. He could possibly be a Galway Plate horse and he might get three miles later on when he strengthens up a bit more.”

IT was almost a case of deja-vu from Cheltenham 2025 in the Uniquely-sponsored Champion Hunters Chase as Sam Curling’s Wonderwall denied Its On The Line a fourth straight win in the Punchestown decider. The margin of victory was a neck - the exact margin that split the pair when Wonderwall got the verdict in the Cotswolds last year.

In his own unique style, Its On The Line (5/2 favourite) raced extremely lazily under his regular partner Derek O’Connor and took coaxing around from quite an early stage - but he repeatedly responded to those urgings.

Wonderwall, sent off 9/2 after finishing a 23-length sixth at Cheltenham on his last start under rules, was kept wide by Rob James when the race began to come to the boil, though some marked jumping out to his right in the straight made the finish interesting. He made contact with Its On The Line on landing after the last, but it wasn’t enough to merit a reversal of placings in the stewards’ room, much to the delight of owner John O’Leary.

Curling said: “I’d say Cheltenham was my fault more than anything else. I wanted to get another run into him before then but they called off Lisronagh. He wasn’t ready enough. He won well in Dromahane last time and Rob gave him a lovely ride there. This horse likes plenty of room and light, and it probably suits him better here.

“He’s a brilliant horse and we’re lucky to have him. The lads are knocking great craic out of him. He loves nice ground and I’d say he’ll go to Stratford next [later this month].”

This victory also meant that the rider had reduced his claim from 7lb to 5lb. Many would argue he still looks quite the value for that with more than 400 winners to his name according to the P2P.ie database.

Jumping Jet

You won’t see many more impressive jumping exhibitions around Punchestown than the one produced by Jetbob in the Stanley Asphalt Hunters Chase for the Bishopscourt Cup - blowing his rivals away from the front at 28/1.

Sean Doyle was keen to sing the praises of Jamie Scallan for the enterprising front-running ride he delivered on owner Henry Chamney’s seven-year-old, who was last seen finishing a well-held sixth in a winners’ of one point-to-point at Curraghmore 26 days earlier. The patiently-ridden Hearts Are Spades, sent off 4/5 favourite, could never get within touching distance of the 11-length winner, but pulled 32 lengths clear of the third.

Doyle said: “This race has been the plan for a while. He probably wanted that bit of dry ground. In fairness, Jamie came out with a plan in his head and by God he executed it well.

“I can’t commend Jamie enough - he was outstanding on this horse and I’m lucky to have him.

“You’d be hoping Jetbob could turn into a good Foxhunters horse next year. He’s very big so you’d be hoping next year he’d be better and more mature.

“Jumping is a big asset to this horse. We had a small bit on him each-way today, but not enough!”