RACING:JP McMANUS got some welcome festival feeling yesterday when Shot From The Hip's Grade One triumph was the highlight of a memorable opening day double at Punchestown for the season's leading owner.
Having drawn a rare blank at Cheltenham, and also going through Aintree and Fairyhouse last week without a winner, the McManus team could have been forgiven if they’d faced this week’s festival with some trepidation. But after Outlaw Pete landed an incident-packed opening race over the banks course, Shot From The Hip provided the owner with a perfect top-flight follow-up.
Shot From The Hip was actually something of a shot in the dark for the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle, after a disappointing warm-up run at Gowran, but the German-bred bounced back to form with a vengeance by handing a nine-length beating to the favourite Hidden Universe.
“It shows what an inexact science this is. We’ve always had a high opinion of the horse but I was very disappointed at Gowran. The vet said he was coughing but he scoped perfect on the day. Then three days later we scoped him again and he was full of muck,” said his trainer Edward O’Grady.
“We hoped he was right and if he was right we knew he had a chance. I didn’t send him to Cheltenham because I didn’t think it was the right thing to do. The plan was to have a race and then come here. But I didn’t think the race would be as disappointing as it was. He’ll probably go novice chasing next season,” he added.
O’Grady praised the Punchestown team for the ground conditions which were officially “good to yielding”. However, Hidden Universe’s rider, Robbie McNamara reported: “It’s on the easy side. They over-watered.”
Outlaw Pete took advantage of his stable companion Zest For Life making an early exit in the banks race, while the complexities of the unique track also saw three runners take a wrong course, and it was veteran jockey John Thomas McNamara who emerged on the winner to beat Wedger Pardy.
“That was a comedy of errors!” said trainer Enda Bolger. “But JT is a wily old fox and he left everything happen in front of him.”
Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown Stud are hot in pursuit of McManus in the owners’ championship and secured a Grade One success too as Quito De La Roque landed the Growise Novice Chase to earn 16 to 1 quotes for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The exit of the hot favourite Quel Esprit down the back left Davy Russell in front sooner than he wanted on Quito De La Roque but the French-bred always pulls out plenty under pressure and he was 14 lengths clear at the line.
“He has been improving all season and if he improves again over the summer we could be looking at the good staying chases,” said trainer Colm Murphy who was completing a Grade One double on the day.
The Galway Hurdle in late July beckons for Johnny McGeeney who beat the favourite Nearest The Pin in a good finish to the handicap hurdle. “He’s a summer ground horse and this is the first time he’s had his ground all season,” said the winner’s trainer Willie Mullins who was getting off the mark for the week.
Texas Jack pounced late under Jason McKeown to score in the Goffs Land Rover Bumper. Keown got a three-day ban afterwards for his use of the stick. The other bumper went to the newcomer King Vuvuzela.
