Marine Nationale backed up success within the Queen Mom Champion Chase with a triumph within the Irish equal at Punchestown.
Marine Nationale backed up his Cheltenham win with a formidable victory within the William Hill Champion Chase at Punchestown.
Recent from a wide-margin success within the Queen Mom Champion Chase ultimately month’s Pageant, Barry Connell’s secure star was the 2-1 second-favourite to come back out on high in an interesting conflict with the good Ryanair Chase winner Truth To File (11-10).
Whereas the latter appeared to be struggling to maintain up with the robust tempo being set by Solness from an early stage again over an prolonged two miles, Marine Nationale travelled strongly all through beneath Sean Flanagan, though the race did look within the steadiness till El Fabiolo suffered his third fall in his final 4 begins two fences from house.
Marine Nationale was in full command from that time and quickened up well from the ultimate impediment to tug seven lengths away from Captain Guinness, with Solness third and Truth To File a bitterly disappointing final of 4 finishers.
Champ Kiely tops Ballyburn for Grade One gold
Champ Kiely upset his better-fancied stablemate Ballyburn to assert high honours in a dramatic renewal of the Dooley Insurance coverage Group Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown.
Willie Mullins saddled 5 of the eight runners that went to put up for the Grade One contest, however first his Cheltenham Pageant hero Lecky Watson fell on the fifth impediment and introduced down stablemate Impaire Et Passe earlier than a 3rd Closutton runner, Ile Atlantique, got here to grief just a few fences later.
Ballyburn, an 11-8 favorite to bounce again from Cheltenham disappointment, moved to the entrance on the second circuit – however 22-1 shot Champ Kiely and Danny Mullins sat in his slipstream earlier than the house flip and had extra to offer within the straight, with six and a half lengths separating the pair on the line.
Mullins mentioned: “Champ Kiely didn’t enjoy Fairyhouse (finished third nine days ago) but today he was a different horse, and Danny rode him with huge confidence to follow Paul.
“He did everything right for Danny today. With all the hard luck we had in the race between fallers and a horse being brought down, it was great to see Danny getting into the picture at the third-last and I said this fella has a chance if Ballyburn doesn’t stay in front.”
Of Ballyburn, he added: “He probably just didn’t jump well enough on the day and I would say there’ll be a lot of thought put into going back hurdling next season.
“We all know he jumps hurdles fantastically and there is perhaps a spot within the staying hurdling division for him.”
Kopek Des Bordes suffers shock Punchestown defeat
Kopek Des Bordes’ surrendered his unbeaten record as stablemate Irancy led home a one-two-three-four for Willie Mullins in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
Kopek Des Bordes looked a star in the making after following up successive victories at Leopardstown with an odds-on success in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last month and he was a 30-100 market leader to round off a perfect season with another win in County Kildare.
However, a couple of sketchy leaps during the early stages set the tone for a disappointing display and he was a spent force turning for home.
Having been ridden more conservatively, 18-1 shot Irancy arrived on the scene travelling strongly under Mark Walsh and powered clear from the final flight to score by nine lengths, with the front-running Salvator Mundi boxing on to beat Karbau to third and Kopek Des Bordes a well-beaten fourth.
Irancy and Mark Walsh
Mullins mentioned: “We took all the gear off Salvator Mundi today and it worked as far as his jumping was concerned, but he just got running too fast and they couldn’t keep that up. Paul, knowing how good Salvator Mundi is, couldn’t let him go.
“Irancy has at all times been an excellent horse and met with a setback after successful right here earlier within the season, nevertheless it might need been one of the best factor to have occurred as he got here right here recent.
“I gave Kopek Des Bordes a nice break after Cheltenham and probably gave him too much and should have brought him to somewhere like Ayr or Perth!
“Taking a look at him within the parade ring, I believed he was carrying an excessive amount of situation and that confirmed at right now’s tempo.”
Ascending Lark swoops for Handicap prize
British raider Ascending Lark completed with a flourish to increase her unbeaten report over obstacles to 6 within the Killashee Resort Handicap Hurdle.
Positioned in two of her three bumper begins in Eire earlier than switching stables, the seven-year-old made a successful debut for Harry Derham at Haydock in March of final yr and has not seemed again, including additional victories at Huntingdon, Newcastle, Exeter and Ludlow.
She confronted a far sterner check at Listed stage in County Kildare and was priced up accordingly at 8-1, however powered house beneath a well-judged experience from Paul O’Brien to rise up and beat Jonjo O’Neill’s Wilful by three-quarters of a size.
Derham mentioned: “There are not many that win six, never mind six in a row! We didn’t plan on being that far back but she’s a good horse. He said he was going to ride her to come home, and come home she has.
“Will (Watt) gave John (Lalor) half of her as a marriage current, so it was fairly the reward!
“A couple of times last year I was on the verge of retiring her. I couldn’t get her right and she didn’t run to her mark, but her owners were very patient and thank God they were as she’s some mare.”
Ascending Lark was a second British-trained winner on the cardboard, with 50-1 shot Purchase Some Time having earlier received the raiding get together off the mark with a shock victory within the Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Collection Remaining Handicap Hurdle for the Scottish father-and-son crew of Mike and Ben Smith.
Mike Smith mentioned: “Is there anything better than a day like today at the Punchestown Festival and your son winning like that? It doesn’t come any better than that.
“Within the final seven or eight days I’ve had a Nationwide Hunt winner in Perth, a point-to-point winner, a Flat winner at Ayr after which flew over right here.
“They all tell you that you can’t beat the Irish and Willie (Mullins) comes over and beats us all, but it doesn’t always happen that way. You have to be brave, to take the risk and throw the darts!”
Transprint (22-1) noticed off his higher fancied stablemate Turnupdevolume to offer coach Richie O’Keeffe a one-two within the Kildare Hunt Membership Cross Nation Chase for the Girls Perpetual Cup.
