FOLLOWING the disappointment of Constitution Hill, it was heart-warming to see Nicky Henderson back in the winners’ enclosure with Lulamba following the Grade 1 Ballymore Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle. The trainer has been a big fan for many years of Punchestown, and his four-year-old son of Nirvana Du Berlais (Martaline) revenged his Cheltenham defeat at the hands of Poniros in the Triumph Hurdle.

What a start to the career of Nirvana Du Berlais, standing for his sixth season at Haras de la Hetraie at an unchanged fee of €6,500. His popularity is best shown by the fact that he covered 160 mares in 2024, a phenomenal number in France. His first crop are four-year-olds and he has made a fine start, with a Grade 1 winner in Lulamba and the blacktype-placed Lady Ga.