RACING – Punchestown Day 4 report: Hurricane Flyshowed his brilliance remains very much intact when making a superb return from injury in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle to give Willie Mullins a ninth training success of the Festival.
The six-year-old looked to have the hurdling world at his feet after a spell-binding novice season, which culminated in a runaway success at this meeting 12 months ago.
Following defeat on his reappearance in November, Willie Mullins’s charge suffered a string of problems which led to him missing much of the season, including the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
But Mullins refused to panic and having slowly nurtured his star turn back to full health, he was sent off at 3-1 for a red-hot Grade One featuring last year’s winner Solwhit and top-class novice Dunguib.
Ridden by Paul Townend, Hurricane Fly travelled with his trademark panache throughout and eased into contention on the turn for home.
While Dunguib also cruised up to make his challenge, his effort was ultimately short lived and as he dropped away, Townend continued to exude confidence.
For a moment Hurricane Fly looked like running away with the contest, but Solwhit stuck to his guns at the head of affairs before eventually giving way to his rival, who got on top to score by a neck.
The winner’s stablemate, County Hurdle winner Thousand Stars, ran a fantastic race to finish third, while Alan King’s Medermit fared best of the British contingent in fourth.
Mullins said: “Paul rode him very confidently and they didn’t go a particularly fast pace, it was slow early on and that probably helped us.
“As I said beforehand, he’s been doing everything right and not missed a beat for the last four weeks, but I was worried that he might have needed to get away for a second piece of work.
“Paul’s main job today was to get the horse settled, which he did, and then just ride his race. He looked beaten at the last but his class pulled him through.”
Mullins had earlier seen 25-1 chance Palace Meranocame good in an attritional Stephens Green Hibernian Club Handicap Chase.
The seven-year-old had been unplaced in his previous six starts over fences but although Davy Condon was hard at work some way from home, his mount was responding to pressure in the straight.
Bottom weight Ameretto Son put up a fine performance from the front in the three-mile-six-furlong heat but Palace Merano collared him at the final fence and ran on to score by a length and three quarters.
Avrika Ligeonniere(3-1 favourite) later hacked up in the Star Best For Racing Coverage Novice Hurdle to make it ten wins, with Mullins now setting his sights on last year's tally of 12.
Reve De Sivolarecorded his second Grade One success of the season with a determined display in the Cathal Ryan Memorial Champion Novice Hurdle.
The five-year-old, winner of Newbury’s Challow Hurdle on his penultimate start, was sent off the 9-4 favourite having chased home Peddlers Cross at the Cheltenham Festival last month.
Nick Williams’s charge looked in trouble turning for home as Fionnegas and Duke Of Lucca drew clear, but Reve De Sivola really found his stride on the journey to the final flight and picked up on the run-in to beat the former by a length.
Chasing Carsmade the most of a drop in class when making every yard of the running in the Motivatechallenge.com Novice Handicap Chase.
Sent off at 10-1 having been beaten well beaten into seventh in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham, Jessica Harrington’s charge jumped and travelled with zest throughout under Robbie Power.
The challengers were queuing up turning for home but Chasing Cars had left something in reserve and kicked clear to win by an impressive 10 lengths.
Lucky Wish stayed on finish second, while Otay Kawn and Nicanor filled the placings.
Cool Warriortook top honours after a thrilling finish to the opening KFM Hunters Chase.
John Robinson’s multiple point-to-point winner was fourth in the corresponding race 12 months ago and it was clear from the top of the straight that his only real danger was last year’s winner Shin A Vee.
The latter looked like securing back-to-back successes when drawing on after jumping the final fence but 12-1 chance Cool Warrior came back for more and passed the post three-quarters of a length ahead.
RESULTS
1 Cool Warrior (Mr D Whelan) 12-1
2 Shin A Vee (Mr J D Moore) 8-1
3 Treybor (Mr B O Walsh) 25-1
4 Neversaythat (Mr J T Carroll) 33-1
22 Ran
3.40
4.20
1 Palace Merano (D J Condon) 25-1
2 Ameretto Son (S J Hassett) 33-1
3 Hume River (R M Power) 12-1
4 Pomme Tiepy (P Townend) 9-1
19 Ran
Non Runner: King Johns Castle
4.55
1 Chasing Cars (R M Power) 10-1
2 Lucky Wish (J L Cullen) 25-1
3 Otay Kawn (D J Casey) 14-1
4 Nicanor (P Carberry) 14-1
18 Ran
Non Runner: Lord Cebellino
5.30
1 Hurricane Fly (P Townend) 3-1
2 Solwhit (D N Russell) 5-1
3 Thousand Stars (Ms K Walsh) 20-1
4 Medermit (R Thornton) 11-1
11 Ran
6.05
1 Reve de Sivola (D A Jacob) 9-4 Fav
2 1 Fionnegas (P Townend) 9-2
3 Duke Of Lucca (R Johnson) 13-2
4 Stonemaster (D N Russell) 14-1
12 Ran
6.40
1 Arvika Ligeonniere (P Townend) 3-1 Fav
2 Cooper's Crest (M Darcy) 25-1
3 Day Of Destiny (P T Enright) 20-1
4 Mr Cracker (IRE) (D N Russell) 4-1
23 Ran
7.10
1 My Cool Lady (Mr A T Duff) 14-1
2 Shadow Eile (Mr C M Murphy) 33-1
3 High Benefit (Mr D O'Connor )7-2 Jt Fav
4 Quiet Thought (Ms H Mooney) 20-1
24 Ran
Non Runner: Classic Mari
7.45
1 Auspicious Outlook (Miss P Ryan) 33-1
2 Frisco Depot (P D Kennedy) 13-2
3 Aztec Pearl (Mr R A Latta) 33-1
4 Cootamundra (Mr M J Doran) 20-1
24 Ran
Non Runners: Gran Torino, Howth, Mini Budget, Simply Ravishing.