ON a card sponsored by Ladbrokes, with the exception of the bumper, there were doubles for trainers Ross O’Sullivan and Gordon Elliott, as well as for jockeys Ricky Doyle and Kevin Sexton, on the first day of Punchestown’s two-day fixture last weekend.
Switch From Diesel (3/10) completed the first leg of a double for Ross O’Sullivan when making all under Ricky Doyle to land the two-mile novice hurdle, scoring by a comfortable four and a quarter lengths from Playtime in the colours of owner/breeder Paul Mullins.
“She’s progressive and we’ll maybe see if there is both a good flat handicap in her and a good jumping handicap in her,” said O’Sullivan.
More to come
The first division of the two-mile maiden hurdle saw Rosie’s Wings (6/1) complete O’Sullivan’s double and that of Ricky Doyle, for whom it was a second brace in consecutive days.
Third on stable debut last month, Mrs Geraldine Devine’s home-bred Wings Of Eagles gelding led approaching the last to beat Firebrand by an eased-down five and a half lengths.
“He’s a big raw horse; a fine-looking horse,” said the winning trainer. “He’s a horse that should keep improving and he’ll have no problem jumping a fence.”
LIZZIE Twigg (13/2) was an emphatic winner of the second division of the two-mile maiden hurdle for owner/trainer Gordon Elliott. The Poet’s Word mare led after two out on her hurdle bow and drew clear under Kevin Sexton to beat the O’Sullivan runner Coolishael by eight and a half lengths.
Elliott said: “She jumped well and we’ll look for some blacktype now, that would be important. She’s for sale and is a nice mare going forward.”
Brother Walfrid (7/4) had solid form in the book ahead of the maiden hurdle over two miles and three furlongs and duly completed the Elliott/Sexton double.
The Brendan Scully-owned five-year-old was produced to challenge longtime leader Frankie’s Freebie on the run to the last and stayed on well to score by a length and a quarter.
“I shouldn’t have run him in a bumper at Ballinrobe the last day, it was just that the owners were going, so we said we would,” the trainer explained.
“It was a good performance; they pulled well clear of the third. He’s a big three-mile horse in the making; he jumps and stays well.”
Staying power
The three-mile handicap chase was a strongly-run affair and turned into a searching test of stamina on rain-softened ground, with Le Grand Vert (18/1) coming from off the pace to score under Carl Millar.
The French-bred 10-year-old, owned by the All Play & No Work Syndicate, hit the front after the last and held the staying-on A Year Older by two and three-quarter lengths.
“He probably just needs a staying track and the softer ground suited him,” said trainer Noel Kelly
“He’s not fast and he’s probably not that genuine, but he can plug away on slow ground. We bought him out of a claimer and he’s won three for us, so we can’t complain.”
JOHN Ryan’s 10-year-old Gaelic Arc returned to form in the feature two-mile handicap chase, making all under Harry Sexton to win at odds of 16/1.
The Arcadio gelding, recording the sixth win of his career, was pursued on the approach to the straight by 9/4 favourite Park That. A slight peck on landing from the latter at the second-last handed the initiative to Gaelic Arc, who kept on to score by three and a quarter lengths.
The winning trainer said: “His first run back didn’t go according to plan, but I’d say he would have won in Kilbeggan, only he got a terrible fall.
“He seems to have come alive again. In fairness to Tom Westropp Bennett and Mark Fleming, they were gutsy enough to leave Harry on him. I think Harry is a good kid, I like him. He kept a bit up his sleeve and finished well.”
“Maybe it wasn’t the strongest race in the world, but it’s great to have a winner at Punchestown.”
Class and stamina
Grade 3-placed hurdler Quantum Quest (5/2f) made a winning start over fences when outstaying his rivals in the three-mile beginners’ chase.
Trained by Henry de Bromhead for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, the Idaho gelding looked held when ridden in third entering the straight but saw the trip out well to score by a length and three-quarters from Da Capo Glory.
“His hurdles form is good, he was running in high company,” said jockey Mike O’Connor.
“He was a good stayer over hurdles and we always thought a fence would improve him.”
Miracle winner
The Castlestone Holiday Homes (Pro/Am) Flat Race produced a surprise 50/1 winner in the shape of Dee Bee Zed who came from off the pace under Eoghan Finegan to make a winning debut.
A son of Glenagles out of a Dubawi mare, the five-year-old led over a furlong out to beat Which Flannerys by two and three-quarter lengths.
Winning trainer Tom McCourt explained “This time last year I didn’t think he’d survive, he had a bad stomach problem and was on the verge on being put down. The vets didn’t think he’d come right.
“Peter Jordan (owner) threw him out in the field and tried to get him eating again, he just fell away to nothing. It’s incredible that he’s here.
“He’s bred in the purple and is a lovely, big, galloping horse. He was still a bit green and will improve plenty from that run.”