Punchestown Festival:After a 50-1 surprise in the opening race of day four at Punchestown, normal service resumed with back-to-back wins for that irresistible partnership of trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Ruby Walsh with Ballytrim and Equus Maximus. The pair tasted victory again in the second Grade One of the day when to Mikael D'Haguenet took his unbeaten record for the season to six.
In the Land Rover Champion Novice Hurdle, the five-year-old was sent off the 8-11 market leader to follow up his success in the Ballymore Properties Hurdle at Cheltenham and travelled smoothly for Walsh.
There was a brief moment of worry for his supporters when his stablemate Cousin Vinny loomed up as a major danger on the run to the final flight, but Mikael D’Haguenet’s stamina soon began to kick in and he lengthened away on the run-in to score by four lengths.
Mullins said: “Ruby said when he won in Naas he was a machine. Cousin Vinny had been working out of his skin at home this week and he ran the race of his life to finish second — it just goes to show you how good Mikael D’Haguenet is.
“Mikael came out of his race at Cheltenham very well, he has size and he has scope and he’ll go chasing next season.
“Actually both horses will go chasing next season.
“Mikael D’Haguenet will be put away now and Cousin Vinny may go for another race if we can find a suitable conditions hurdle race for him.
“Mikael D’Haguenet ran four times in France before I got him but he wasn’t mature enough then. He also had one run over fences and that’s one of the reasons as to why we bought him.”
Ballytrim was given a typically brilliant ride by Walsh to come out on top in a desperate finish to the Eventus Marquees Handicap Chase, before he saddled
The eight-year-old Ballytrim was sent off at 11-2 join-favourite but was never travelling particularly well for the champion jockey.
Tony McCoy and long-time leader Baily Breeze appeared to have the race in the bag after stretching clear turning for home but he tied up quickly after the final obstacle, and Ballytrim was produced to perfection by Walsh to score by two lengths from Rock Diplomat.
Mullins said: “Ruby thought he was the first horse beat and said he was never going anywhere, but he stayed on and ground it out.
“The plan was to keep him out of the back and he has switched off completely.
“That was his Grand National and that is perhaps the route we will go with him and look at the Irish or even Aintree Nationals. I may consider the Hennessy at Newbury next winter.”
The pair doubled up with Equus Maximus (3-1 favourite) getting up close home in the Betfair Novice Handicap Chase.
The nine-year-old travelled powerfully throughout the two-mile five-furlong contest and moved up to challenge Tranquil Sea after jumping the second-last.
The two of them settled down to fight it out but there was an air of inevitability about the result even at that stage as Equus Maximus powered clear after the final fence to score by four lengths.
There was a British success when Copper Bleu streaked away with the Star Best For Racing Coverage Novice Hurdle, although the 7-4 favourite would have been made to fight had Zaarito not crashed out at the last when upsides.
Winning trainer Philip Hobbs indicated a novice chase campaign would be on the agenda next season.
Shin A Vee sprung the early shock when running out a wide-margin winner of the KFM Hunters Chase for the Bishopscourt Cup.
The six-year-old had previously been pulled up in two outings in the point-to-point sphere but was always travelling strongly round the outside of runners.
The chestnut swept to the front on the turn for home and the final-fence fall of main challenger Fiso On Friday meant he came home 21 lengths clear of Extended Favour.
The winner is owned by Martin Kennelly, whose colours were carried to Gold Cup success by Bregawn in 1983.
He said: “That wasn’t really a shock to us. We were slightly worried about the ground, but knew that if the ground had been good then he would have won in a canter.