Barberstown Castle Novice Chase (Grade 1)

IF ever a result summed up the challenges for punters at the Punchestown Festival, it might just have been Kopek Des Bordes’ dramatic second-last-fence fall that presented Salvator Mundi with a golden opportunity in the Grade 1 Barberstown Castle Novice Chase.

At a starting price of 4/11, Willie Mullins’ Arkle second is highly likely to be the shortest-priced favourite of the entire meeting, and he was trading at 1/10 in-running on the run to two out.

However, last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle scorer apparently took his eye off the ball when lunging left and failing to engage the proper landing gear. He gave Paul Townend no chance and left Joe and Marie Donnelly’s Aintree second to pick up €75,000 worth of pieces.

Irish Panther, having tried to serve it up to all rivals on the front end, tried admirably in second but ultimately finished 12 lengths adrift of Salvator Mundi - Harry Cobden’s first Grade 1 winner in Ireland.

“Salvator Mundi is a good horse in his own right but things just haven’t always gone right for him,” Mullins said of the 13/2 winner.

“He’s been promising to do that from an early age and was right on the premises when Kopek Des Bordes departed the race. What more can you say? Marie and Joe Donnelly have had a funny season [with the likes of State Man injured] but they have this horse and Kitzbuhel.

“It wasn’t as though the winner was 20 lengths behind and picked up the pieces. He was going to be involved in the finish. If Kopek had made a mistake there and got away with it, this horse was right on his tail. He’s no back number.”

On Kopek Des Bordes, he added: “Everything was going right. He probably just lost his concentration going to the fence, without horses around him to keep him focused. He appeared to take off, but never put out his landing gear and just landed on his knees. I think both horse and rider were very lucky. They seem to be all right, fingers crossed they are.”

Beaten reaction

Eddie Harty, joint-trainer of Irish Panther (runner-up)

“It was a great run and he left nothing out there. Cheltenham was a hard run for him; we left him off afterwards and didn’t think of coming anywhere else. He’ll get a good break now and will come back for those graded races next season. He’s run his heart out and unfortunately is second again - that’s second in two Grade 1s this season!”