Geraghty guides Punjabi home

Racing : Punjabi, third in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, ran out a taking winner of the ACCBank-sponsored version at Punchestown…

Racing: Punjabi, third in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, ran out a taking winner of the ACCBank-sponsored version at Punchestown.

Trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Barry Geraghty, the five-year-old was always travelling strongly and kicked for home soon after the penultimate flight.

Sublimity still had a fair bit of ground to make up at the last and stayed on well for second, going down by three lengths to the 2-1 winner.

Salford City set a very sound gallop in the Grade One two-miler as Kalderon tracked him throughout the early stages.

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Geraghty — standing in for the injured Mick Fitzgerald — always had the front pair in his sights, while Sublimity and Harchibald were settled off the gallop some way behind.

The last-named pair began to make some inroads as the principals approached the second-last obstacle, but Geraghty had saved something on Punjabi and kicked clear.

Salford City quickly fell in a hole as Sublimity emerged as the only potential threat, although John Carr's eight-year-old always looked to be facing a difficult task to erode the advantage.

The 15-8 favourite kept finding for pressure and was closing Punjabi down at the line, but Geraghty had things in hand as Henderson's representative struck another blow for British-trained horses at the Festival.

John Carr had earlier kicked off proceedings on day four of the Festival when saddling White Head to victory in the KFM Hunters Chase.

The 3-1 chance survived a blunder at the fourth-last to lead approaching the final obstacle in the hands of Emmett Mullins and deny Ground Ivy by three lengths.

Carr said: "He won a point-to-point here on St Patrick's Day and given the way he has been working at home I thought he had a great chance.

"I told all of my friends to back him which is why he was so well supported in the ring."

Arbor Supreme marked himself out as a top-notch prospect for next season as Niall Madden guided the six-year-old to a stylish success in the marathon Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa Handicap Chase.

Carrying JP McManus' famous silks, the 12-1 chance could be spotted running away with his Grand National-winning jockey over the final few fences before asserting on the run-in.

He galloped to a five-length victory to continue a prolific week for trainer Willie Mullins, with the Dessie Hughes pair of Black Apalachi and Sea Diver taking second and third.

Mullins said: "All three horses I ran in the race have not been great jumpers all year, but they have developed their own methods.

"I told Niall to keep him on the outside and let him find his own way. The only mistake he made was at the second-last and I had very few anxious moments.

"I suppose he could be an English National horse but he might not get in so the Hennessy would be a possible."

Tranquil Sea landed odds of 7-1 for Edward O'Grady and Andrew McNamara in the Land Rover Champion Novice Hurdle.

The six-year-old was settled just in behind the early leaders but made menacing headway on the run to the home straight.

Tranquil Sea showed a bright turn of foot to take it up before the last and then found plenty for pressure to see off Fiveforthree by two lengths.

Back in third was Dusty Sheehy's 5-2 favourite Trafford Lad, who also filled the same position when last seen in the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

2.30pm KFM Hunters S'chase 
 
1st  White Head 3/1
2nd Ground Ivy 12/1
3rd Miss Muldoon 12/1
4th Inoma James 10/1

3.05pm  Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa H'cap S'chse

1st Arbor Supreme 12/1
2nd Black Apalachi 10/1
3rd Sea Diva 16/1
4th Ballytrim10/1

3.45pm  Betfair.com Novice H'cap S'chase
 
1st Scotsirish 8/1
2nd Double Dizzy 33/1
3rd Ambobo 8/1
4th Classic Croco 50/1

4.20pm  ACCBank Champion H'dle

1st Punjabi 2/1
2nd Sublimity 15/8 Fav
3rd Ebaziyan 16/1
4th Harchibald 11/4

4.55pm  Land Rover Champion Novice H'dle

1st Tranquil Sea 7/1
2nd Fiveforthree 3/1
3rd Trafford Lad 5/2 Fav
4th Woodbine Willie 10/1 
 
5.30pm  Star Best For Racing Coverage Nov H'dle
 
1st I Hear A Symphony 10/1
2nd Raise Your Heart 3/1 Fav
3rd Vaqueras 12/1
4th Young Milly 20/1

6.00pm  Bewleys Hotels & EBF Nat.Hunt (F) Bumper
 
1st Otterstown Lady 6/1
2nd Bobs Display 9/1
3rd All The Fashion 40/1
4th Definite Deploy 20/1

6.30pm  Yes To Carrotts (Pro-Am) INH Flat Race
 
1st Bob Lingo (IRE) 14/1
2nd Carrolls Cross (IRE) 20/1
3rd Havagoodsip (IRE) 9/1
4th Bantry Commons (IRE) 9/4F