FINDING value National Hunt horses can be a major challenge in the current era of superspending top outfits, so it must go down as a real feather in the cap of trainer Ross O’Sullivan to saddle the 1-2 in the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series Final.
This €75,000 pot is restricted to horses purchased at public auction as stores for €45,000 or less, and the decisive 2026 winner, Raise You Up, went through the ring for €5,000 as an unraced three-year-old. After flashing promise in his sole point-to-point for the Codds, he joined Lorus Projects Limited privately, and this was his third win in six starts for the Co Kildare yard.
Danny Gilligan did the steering on this 5/1 winner, who pulled four lengths clear of 25/1 stablemate De Jour En Jour, recently sourced privately and making his second start for O’Sullivan and the Downtown Syndicate.
“There is a good crew over from England and also from Cork, who will give it the hoo-hah!” O’Sullivan said of the winning connections.
“He’s a nice horse, owned by a very good man in Richard Murphy. The plan was to come for the final; it’s great prize money by Red Mills and it’s a great initiative. He’ll probably go chasing now next year.”
Cosy for Cavern
Paul Hennessy might have had his attention primarily focused on preparing a half-dozen greyhounds on the Derby trail from this weekend on, but he made his visit to the Punchestown Festival count when Jacovec Cavern ran riot in the Adare Manor Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle.
Richie Condon won’t ride many easier winners than the Turner Family’s dual-purpose performer, who had 11 lengths to spare over British raider Aguellid for a 33/1 surprise success. The last horse to sneak into the race at the bottom of the handicap, he could have been called the likeliest winner from some way out.
Hennessy said: “We had to wait until 10.15am two days ago to find out if he’d get a run, so this is wonderful. We’re a small team and we enjoy the craic. They are fantastic owners and have been very patient.
“He ran in the Triumph as a young horse. I really wanted to win a hurdle race with him, because he’s won on the flat and won a chase for us.”
Quinta shows quality
Given her clear flat focus nowadays, it was noteworthy shooting for Jessica Harrington to bag a Punchestown Festival double from just three runners across the opening two days. Quinta Do Lago might be best known as the winner of the first HRI Academy Hurdle ever run, but this victory in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle confirmed that he is a quality hurdler in his own right for the QDL Partnership.
Donagh Meyler always appeared to be travelling with plenty in hand on the Fred Winter fifth, and the 9/2 shot had too much for Begorra Man in this length-and-three-quarters success.
“We don’t have many National Hunt horses now. I’d like a few more of them – we can still train them!” quipped Harrington. “He was bought at the Orby Sale to be a two-year-old and run in the Goffs Million, but it didn’t happen. He was backward at three, so we decided to keep him for an Academy Hurdle.
“I’d say he’s only really coming to himself now and what he really appreciated today was the step up in trip [to an extended two miles and three furlongs].”
SUCH was the manner in which she put away a talented field in the Grade 3 Weatherbys General Stud Book Irish EBF Mares Bumper, it would have been intriguing to see how Even Tho would have fared against the boys in Grade 1 bumper company earlier on the same card. She looks an outstanding prospect for Willie Mullins and owners PIL Gallop.
A late market move for Jody Townend’s mount (7/2 from 5/1) raised questions as to whether Patrick Mullins had chosen correctly in this blacktype event with 11/8 favourite Glens Anthem (eventual seventh), and Even Tho proved one of the most impressive winners of the week.
A Crystal Ocean five-year-old, who is a half-sister to this year’s Irish Grand National third The Enabler, she had made a big impression when winning on her previous start at Limerick and was in complete control before the furlong marker here. The final margin was 16 lengths. Mullins was eager to give credit to Rachael Blackmore for the sourcing of the winner from Pat Doyle.
“That was an extraordinary performance,” said the champion trainer.
“Rachael tipped us off to have a look at her after she fell in her point-to-point and bought her for this client. It’s one of the many talents she has now that she’s given up riding, spotting horses! If she can buy more like her, she’ll make a living out of that.
“When Jody set this mare alight it was all over in a few strides. We know she jumps - she’s been around a point-to-point course - so we’re looking forward to going novice hurdling.”
Even if Darragh O’Keeffe was chasing a likely losing battle in the jockeys’ championship this week, he wrapped up the best season of his career with a valuable Festival win aboard Henry de Bromhead’s Nouvotic in the €100,000 Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase.
It was an excellent front-running display from Roger Brookhouse’s 7/1 chance - especially since it was his first start in 185 days, last seen winning a handicap chase at Wexford in October. De Bromhead is now weighing up whether his 10-length winner (off a mark of 130) could be one for the Galway Plate.
“It’s lovely to get one here for Roger, who is a brilliant supporter of Punchestown and loves coming over,” said the winning trainer. “We thought he was a real three-miler and he was disappointing one day at Kilbeggan. He looks like a two-and-a-half-mile or two-mile-six-furlong kind of horse. I couldn‘t believe the easy lead Darragh got and I’m just delighted. He loves that ground.”