Punchestown Festival:Dunguib emulated last year's winner Cousin Vinny as he completed the Cheltenham-Punchestown double in the Paddy Power Champion INH Flat Race. Philip Fenton's charge had run out a brilliant winner of the Champion Bumper at Prestbury Park and he was a similarly comfortable victor on this occasion.
The 9-10 favourite was cruising throughout and when he was given the signal to go on, he responded in excellent style to pull nine lengths clear.
Sweeps Hill finished second while pace-setter Luska Lad hung on for third.
Fenton said: “I was looking for excuses coming here but it turns out that he was in the same form as before Cheltenham.
“He had two weeks off after Cheltenham and soon put the weight back on that he lost there, and there were seven weeks between the two races.
“He is a superstar of a horse and is well able to jump. We have already schooled him and he will do plenty more before he makes an appearance.
“If all goes well and fits into place then I would love to take him back to Cheltenham for the two-mile novice — the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.”
Favourite The Midnight Club swooped late and fast to land the Madra Dog Food Novices Hurdleand the first of three winners for Willie Mullins.
Sent off the 7-4 market leader, the eight-year-old was bidding to improve on his third place at the Cheltenham Festival.
He made hard work of it under Emmett Mullins, jumping the last three lengths adrift of Healys Bar and Sam Adams.
Horse and jockey knuckled down well under pressure though, to burst between the two rivals before eventually forcing his head in front of Sam Adams by three-quarters of a length in the shadow of the post.
Mullins said: “Emmet rode him with a lot of confidence. He missed the third-last flight and they got away from him but he is really tough and was doing his best work late on.
“I am really looking forward to sending him chasing. He loves a trip and soft ground, and he could become a National horse one day.
“With the weather the way it is we could send him over fences next week when the new season begins and then put him away for the summer.”
In the Ulster Bank Handicap Chase, Mullins had Ruby Walsh on board J'y Vole (5-1), who relished the rain-softened ground as she returned to winning ways
The six-year-old was a Grade One-winning novice last term but had only run twice since this meeting 12 months ago, finishing fourth when last seen at Gowran.
However, she was back to her best as she asserted coming down to the last two fences and although she did not get very high at the final obstacle, she had enough in reserve for a 14-length success.
British raider The Sawyer was second with De Boitron back in third.
“The longer trip seemed to suit her, and we will probably stick to that next season," Mullins said. "She may go to Auteuil next month.”
In the final race of the day, Walsh and Mullins teamed up again to claim the Three.ie Novice Chaseahead of Jaamid by four lengths.
Jessica Harrington got day two of the festival off to a satisfactory start when No One Tells Me won in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdlethis afternoon.
Harrington’s Valley of Giants was comfortably beaten into second by the Michael O’Hare-trained Montana Slim in the opening race, but she didn’t have to wait long to put that right, as Robert Power did enough on her 6-1 shot to keep 11-4 favourite Moville at bay by half a length.
The 66-1 outsider Crossdresser was third but the four-year-old was later found not to have run on its merits and trainer Gavin Cromwell was fined €2,000, the horse was suspended from running for 60 days and jockey Shane McCann from riding for 21 days.
After her second win of the meeting, Harrington said: “She is a tough little filly and she knew what she was doing today.
“I did fancy her most of my three, mainly because I knew she would go on the ground. Manor Park was getting weight off her but doesn’t handle this sort of surface.”
Montana Slim came home an easy winner of the Martinstown Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle.
Sent off at 25-1, the seven-year-old loomed large alongside Valley Of Giants rounding the home turn and was soon clear.
A smooth jump at the last sealed matters and he had 11 lengths in hand over the runner-up.
“I was taking a pull a long way out as he jumped and travelled so well,” winning jockey Keith Clarke said. “I ended up getting there too soon but I didn’t have any choice as he was going so well.”