RACING: At the close of a week in which he landed a remarkable Cheltenham treble, JP McManus can top it off by capturing the Punchestown Sunday feature event, the Tylo Saunas Handicap Hurdle with World Wide Web.
It is most uncommon for an owner to win three races at the Cheltenham Festival but what made JP's scoreline unique was that his three winners, Like-A-Butterfly, Rith Dubh and Baracouda, were trained in three different countries.
World Wide Web, trained for him by John Mulhern, confirmed the excellent impression he had created at Navan, when he stayed on resolutely over two miles six furlongs to cut the winning advantage of Perkys Pride to one and a half lengths, by smoothly justifying odds-on favouritism at Down Royal.
This is his first venture into handicap company but he looks fairly treated and is napped against Dutsdale Dancer, who got an overdue turn of luck at Fairyhouse a fortnight ago, beating Sheer Frustration. I'vehadit, who was third in that race, has won since.
Talking of a change of luck, Jessica Harrington, who also struck at Cheltenham with Moscow Flyer, would be relieved to see Spirit Leader (2.30) winning after an unenviable sequence of seconds.
This mare was beaten by Be My Belle at Down Royal and has now amassed six seconds and a third since landing her bumper at Gowran Park in April.Barry Geraghty, who partners Spirit Leader, will also be on the fancied Takagi (3.00) before deputising for the out-of-action Paul Carberry on Woodenbridge Natif (3.30).
The booking of Charlie Swan by Michael Hourigan for Mr Sneaky Boo (4.30) might afford the best clue to the outcome of this handicap.
There could be a good spread of success at Limerick tomorrow, with seven different trainers and seven different jockeys winding up among the winners.
Dermot Weld should be on the mark with Beyond Borders in the opening maiden hurdle, while Rud Cinnte (5.15) may make it a hat-trick.