Punchestown Festival:Garde Champetre gave cross-country king Enda Bolger yet another success over the banks with a comfortable victory in the Avon Ri Corporate & Leisure Resort Chase. The 10-year-old was a 13-8 chance to bounce back from a disappointing effort in the Irish Grand National, and was always travelling ominously well in the hands of regular pilot Nina Carberry.
Gordon Elliott’s 2007 Aintree Grand National winner Silver Birch led the field into the straight but Carberry sat motionless on Garde Champetre, who quickened away to win the La Touche Cup by two lengths.
Bolger said: “I thought he was slightly under the cosh three out, but his class has shone through in the end.
“Nina said she almost got to the front too soon, and he is a great jumper of the cross-country fences.
“He has won here before but never won a La Touche Cup — please God, it will be more of the same next year.”
Paul Stafford's Blueberry Boy sprang a surprise in the Irish Sun Handicap Chaseat Punchestown on his first outing under Rules in over a year.
The 10-year-old was sent off at 16-1 to secure his first success since November 2006, but travelled nicely into the lead when turning for home under Conor Maxwell.
Hairy Molly loomed up as a danger halfway up the straight, but Maxwell always appeared confident.
He only had to push out his mount to score by four lengths.
Stafford said: “He disappointed last year and we didn’t know why, so we gave him a good time off.
“The intention was to go point-to-pointing but he doesn’t really get home over three miles, so we had to come here.
“He does run well fresh, but we were worried about the ground.”
Jessies Dream gave the irresistible combination of Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh another Festival winner with an impressive display in the AON Insurances Hurdleat Punchestown.
The six-year-old was sent off the 2-1 favourite, having made a winning debut over obstacles at Thurles in February, and travelled strongly throughout the two-and-a-half-mile contest.
Produced to lead soon after turning for home, the chestnut was far from convincing at the final obstacle, but stayed on strongly on the run-in to score by four lengths from Noble Prince.
Square Sphere benefited from a power-packed ride from Davy Russell to get up within the dying strides of the Naas Court Hotel Handicap Hurdle.
Joint-top-weight Rocco’s Hall looked like landing top honours when cruising to the front on the swing for home, but Robert Tyner’s 7-1 shot was switched to
the rail to challenge after jumping the final obstacle.
The former still held a narrow advantage as the duo touched down after the last, but Square Sphere gradually wore him down to score by a neck.
Russell said: “She battled well and is such a tough little filly.
“She only had 10st 10lb on her back, which is a light weight, and she is a winter mare who loves heavy ground.
“She took off after jumping the last and rallied all of the way to line.
“She only got on top in the last 50 yards and ground it out well.”