Racing: Asian Maze ran her rivals ragged to land a convincing win in the Whitewater Champion Stayers' Hurdle at the Punchestown festival today.
Ruby Walsh set a sensible pace on the Tom Mullins-trained mare and the 8-13 shot was not hard pressed to follow up her success in the Aintree Hurdle earlier this month.
Fire Dragon, trained by Jonjo O'Neill, was the only one to put up any kind of challenge but he was well held at the last and was pipped for second spot close home by 100-1 chance Kerryhead Windfarm.
Asian Maze dictated affairs from the start although Walsh never allowed her to go more than three lengths ahead of her rivals headed by Fire Dragon and Sky's The Limit.
When Walsh upped the tempo four out, the pressure soon began to tell on the rest of the field except for Fire Dragon who did his best to keep within striking distance.
However, he was a spent force at the final flight as Asian Maze went on to win by four and a half lengths from Kerryhead Windfarm.
Mullins said: "She always sticks to her task. It's grand that we have at least six to eight months to think about where we want to go with her, but Ruby thinks she is not a staying mare but a Champion Hurdle mare."
Michael Hourigan was thrilled with Kerryhead Windfarm's return to form but also frustrated the horse has not shown his best over fences this season.
"I'm very pleased and I may train him for the World Hurdle next season as he stays and likes fast ground," said Hourigan.
"Going back over fences would be an option but he seems to jump better over the smaller obstacles and we know he's a good horse."
Asian Maze was cut from 8-1 to 6-1 for the next year's World Hurdle and 10-1 into 8-1 for the 2007 Champion Hurdle with VC Bet.
Accordion Etoile got the better of Justified to take the Swordlestown Cup Novice Chase.
Paul Nolan's runner made relentless progress in the hands of John Cullen down the back straight and joined the leader at the second last.
A mistake at the final fence put paid to any chance Justified had and Accordion Etoile (9-4) went on to beat the 13-8 favourite by two and a half lengths. In Compliance was third.
Nolan said of the winner: "The wheels are back on the bike and he's got a Grade One under his belt now.
"We were thinking we might not have made the right decision to send him over fences but he's proven himself today and you have to consider if we had kept him over hurdles what would he have won.
"The Champion Chase is the plan and hopefully he will get his good ground there (at Cheltenham)."
Trainer Enda Bolger landed the Blue Square Chase (for the La Touche Cup) for the ninth successive year when Good Step repeated last year's success in banks race marathon.
Nina Carberry brought the 11-2 shot to head long-time leader What Odds between the last two fences and hold off all challengers for a famous win.
I'm On The Line (40-1) looked a big danger at the last but Carberry drove her mount out all the way to the line to score by a length and a half. Ile De Boitron (12-1) was third.
Quatre Heures capitalised on a final-flight fall by his stablemate Mister Hight to win the tote.ie Champion Four Year Old Hurdle. PA