PAT Foley bagged a second notable success in three days at Punchestown on Monday as he trained his first J.P. McManus-owned winner with well supported Verdant Place (13/8 favourite) in the Festival Hospitality Novice Handicap Hurdle.

Foley won Saturday’s €80,000 Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Chase with Rebel Gold. Here he sent out Verdant Place, under jockey Simon Torrens, to record a length and a half success over Friends N Commerce.

Foley said afterwards: “I can’t thank J.P. and Frank [Berry] enough for the opportunity. J.P. was good to my father (late Tom Foley) and it’s nice that he has put trust in me now. It’s great to get a winner for him.

“Simon said he’ll stay further. He ran over two mile and six furlongs the last day but two mile four is okay for him. He’s a big baby, he’s still green and is only learning. It’ll take a little bit of time for the penny to drop fully with him.

“He’ll be a chaser down the road - he’s an out-and-out chaser. We’ll see what Frank says and see what we do with him from here.”

Cromwell double

Trainer Gavin Cromwell recorded a double, beginning with 10/1 chance The King Of Prs, under Joey Dunne, in the John Thomas McNamara QR Handicap Hurdle.

The King Of Prs was bred by jockey Davy Russell’s father Jerry and is owned by Damien Dillon, with trainer Gavin Cromwell later confirming his name to be an abbreviation of the ‘Private Rental Sector’, before adding, “I don’t know who the king is though!”

He added: “It was an encouraging run the last day when it was his first run back after a layoff and he was good there. He (Joey Dunne) gave him a nice ride, around the inside.

“I’m happy with that, I thought he had a chance but won better than I thought. He’ll probably stay further but I’d say we’ll stick to two miles at the moment.”

Cromwell completed his double with Letsbeclearaboutit in the Think Group Deals At Festival Maiden Hurdle, which readily justified 2/7 favouritism for jockey Keith Donoghue and owner Alymer Stud.

The Flemensfirth gelding made all for a 22 lengths rout from Rowdy Romeo and Cromwell later said: “He has experience now and he’d want to be winning that, but I’m delighted. I don’t know where we go now, I’ll talk to the owners, but I’d like to give him an Albert Bartlett entry.

“He’s definitely going to go chasing long term so whether we go straight chasing now or whether we continue at this I’m not sure.”

Grace goes all the way at short odds

THE shortest-priced winner of the day was the Willie Mullins-trained Eabha Grace, at 1/10 favourite, who also made all the running for a 30-length success for jockey Paul Townend and owner, the John Battersby Racing Syndicate.

Townend said: “We didn’t learn much more than we knew coming - she jumped fine and she got another round of schooling really.

“The ground is a bit harder work than it was yesterday as it’s dried out a bit. She came alive around the bend turning in, for a furlong, and that was it.

“She’s a fine mare and was unlucky to run into one (Halka Du Tabert) the last day. Going back up in trip today was always going to suit. She was consistent last year and is a great jumper. She’ll jump a fence when she needs to.”

Racing began with the 15% Off Festival Tickets Maiden Hurdle where Metamorpheus (14/1) scored for trainer Tim Doyle and his wife, breeder/owner Claire Doyle.

Ridden patiently by Cian Quirke, the Morpheus gelding moved past leader, and 5/6 favourite, Calico on the run-in, to score by five lengths from Almuhit with Calico finishing third.

Good horses

Trainer Doyle said: “We bred him, the mare (Coral Dawn) died last year but she bred some good horses for us and his brother Sailors Warn was a Grade 1 (placed) hurdler for Edward O’Grady, so the pedigree is there for the job.

“From the first day we schooled him, we knew he was a natural. He had a smashing run in Limerick and came on from that.

“We’d have to consider the Boodles (at Cheltenham) or something like that for him now but will probably needs another run for experience.”

Summer loving for McGill

NINETEEN-year-old Dara McGill rode his first winner in the concluding Irish Stallion Farms EBF Bumper, replacing injured Cormac Abernethy on the Jerry Cosgrave-trained, well-backed victor Bohemian Summer (12/1-5s).

McGill, a son of trainer Gary McGill, raced Bohemian Summer into a clear lead rounding the home turn and held on to score by two and a quarter lengths from Why Delilah.

Pony racing graduate McGill, from Derry, said “I’ve ridden 11 point-to-point winners and that’s my first on the track so it’s nice to get it out of the way – I only picked up the ride last night.

“She’s very tough and she kept galloping the whole way, she’s all heart.

“She was flat out the whole way but once she started to travel down the back, I just let her go on and she just kept galloping the whole way home.”

Biggest-priced winner was The Pat Kelly-trained Captain Jimmy in the National Trial Day 19th February Handicap Hurdle, defying his 22/1 price to score under Philip Donovan.

Donovan later said “Pat (Kelly) and his son Tony had him in good old order. He’s a horse that likes to be kept fresh.

“He was actually entered for the chase yesterday but they opted to go for the hurdle with the lower weight and I’m glad it paid dividends. He likes to run fresh and it felt like he only jumped-in going to the second last.

“He’s 10 years of age now and likes to be kept happy. When he decides to go, you have to cajole him along and let him think he’s the big man. I’m delighted for Pat and the team.”