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Irish National Hunt Festival 2009 |
All the News from Day 1 at Punchestown
28/04/09
IT'S MASTER MINDED - BUT ONLY JUST
Champion Master Minded made it four Grade 1 wins this season when, aided by a final fence blunder by Big Zeb, held on by a head to take the Kerrygold Champion Chase under Ruby Walsh.
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Trainer Paul Nicholls felt a slow pace played against Master Minded, who was sent off 30/100 favourite, and intends to use stablemate Free World as a pacemaker next season.
"We got tight at the second last but he was not really racing. He needs a fast run race," said Nicholls. "I said to Ruby to keep it uncomplicated and it was a gamble coming here because it was the end of the season and he'd been on the go since July.
"My immediate problem is that he needs a pacemaker, he was idling and you don't want to be in that position. You learn about these horses all the time and his best ever run was at Cheltenham last year when they went a flat out gallop.
"I expect we'll run Free World, who is also owned by Clive Smith, next season to ensure they go a decent gallop.
"Big Zeb ran a blinder and if he'd jumped he'd have made a race of it but jumping's the name of the game and we won on the day. Obviously you would say that it was lucky the other horse missed the last fence which didn't help him. But if you just watch Master Minded he just half pricks his ears a bit."
Walsh said: "I was glad to get to the line when it came because I could see Big Zeb coming at me. There was nothing in the race quick enough to lead me. In England you have horses to make a gallop but I could only go as fast as I could make Master Minded go. But he's an incredible horse."
Owner Clive Smith said: "That was a bit close for me! It was a great run from Big Zeb but our's idled a bit in front and we might need a pacemaker or different tactics in the future. He's a great horse and I should think he'll be back in the Tingle Creek then maybe the Victor Chandler."
Big Zeb's rider Barry Geraghty said: "I would imagine that we would have won if we had jumped the last. In fairness, I was very long at it but I had to commit - he just got a bit low and pitched. I went from being upsides to being two lengths down and then only got beaten a head so it was a great run. It was a bit of a pity to get beaten but it a great performance from Big Zeb and we have plenty to look forward to.
Big Zeb's trainer Colm Murphy added: "It's a pity to get so close and not quite get there and if he'd jumped the last it may have been a different story. Our fellow is still on the up and inexperienced and we have something to look forward to next year."
CROWD
Today's attendance on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival was 16,324.
Dick O'Sullivan, Punchestown's General Manager, said: "We are down around 1,800 people on last year but we have lost around 2,500 corporate bookings so the number actually turning up and coming through the gates is up so we're delighted with that."
RARE BOB GRABS GRADE 1 GLORY
The Dessie Hughes-trained Rare Bob came home a length and three-quarters clear of British raider Gone To Lunch to take the Grade 1 boylesports.com Novice Chase, in which 5/6 favourite Cooldine finished only fourth.
"He's a fabulous horse. I liked him from the moment I saw him at the Fairyhouse sales," said Hughes of the winner. "He has really come to himself now and has been doing everything right. We kept him for this race.
"He ran a blinder in the Irish National but just didn't get home over three miles and five furlongs - it probably came a year too soon for him. The race made a man of him and taught him a lot.
"Paddy (Flood) was good on him today. He knows the horse well and rides him in all his work at home. He was over the moon about riding the horse today.
"He's a Grade 1 horse now and hopefully will continue to be. He enjoys the jumping and has a bit of class. We'll probably start back here in the Durkan and the horse is improving all the time."
Paddy Flood added: "That was fantastic and I am so delighted for the horse.
"We have put so much time and effort into the horse to keep him right. He never won a hurdle race but a lot of time and perseverance have paid off and it's a great tribute to Dessie. It was a great honour to ride the horse and he is one of my favourites.
"I was always happy today and I stood out in the middle of the track on my own as the horse likes to be on his own, he doesn't like to be crowded. I know him inside out, everything about him - all his nooks and crannies.
"It needed us to find everything about him before he won a race, how to ride him and how to train him. He let me down once or twice today but that's just inexperience and Grade 1 company. I think he'll improve again after a break.
"It has been a great season for me. I couldn't have done it without the horses, all credit to them and the trainers that I have ridden for."
Cooldine's trainer Willie Mullins said: "He's run flat and Ruby said he was flat all the way around. It could have been that it was the end of a long season or maybe the change in tactics that made him perform like he did. We'll rough him off and bring him back next season."
IMPERIAL CASCADE LANDS EMOTIONAL VICTORY
Punchestowns may be missing Thursday's ladbrokes.com World Series Hurdle but his owner Judy Wilson gained valuable compensation when Imperial Cascade landed the 100,000 euros GOFFS LAND ROVER BUMPER under Katie Harrington.
Wilson's husband Lynn, a huge fan of the Punchestown Festival, died last summer in a road accident following a fishing trip to Scotland.
"We bought the horse last year and he had not been named," said a tearful Wilson. "Lynn had been fishing with a fly called a cascade and the horse is by Imperial Ballet so that is where the name came from. Lynn loved coming here and I thought Katie rode fabulous race, you could not have asked for anything else."
Trainer Jessica Harrington added: "Someone said to me that that's better than Moscow Flyer. I'm not sure about that but it's fantastic for Katie to ride the winner, there was a lot of pressure on her and it was good of Mrs Wilson to let her keep the ride. She gave him a great ride round the inner. That will be it for the year and hopefully he'll make up into a very nice horse."
SHARK AIMING TO STRIKE AGAIN ON SATURDAY
Truckers Delight, trained by John 'Shark' Hanlon, could bid for a second valuable prize this week after winning the Masterchef Hospitality Handicap Hurdle by six lengths.
The eight-year-old is entered in the 120,000 euros Whitewater Shopping Centre Handicap Hurdle on Saturday and Hanlon said: "This is where you want to win! He's a right little horse and he was very unlucky at Fairyhouse last time - he clipped heels coming round the bend when I thought he was going to win. Conor (O'Farrell) gave him a great ride. He did everything he was supposed to, he sat, jumped well, and travelled there, so he couldn't do anything wrong.
"I didn't think he'd get in the race on Saturday but looking at it this morning I think he probably will make the cut so he'll run again. He's a horse that loves his racing and ran three times at the Galway Festival last year.
"I have only been training for two years and we have had a great start with over 40 winners and over 100 placed horses."
HURRICANE FLIES AT PUNCHESTOWN
A frustrating season for the Willie Mullins-trained Hurricane Fly ended on the best possible note when he justified 4/6 favouritism to run out an effortless seven-length winner of the Grade 1 EVENING HERALD CHAMPION HURDLE on the opening day of the 2009 Punchestown Festival.
Ruby Walsh waited patiently aboard the five-year-old, who had been off the track since December 28 with a bone spur injury, before storming clear of stablemate Kempes.
"He did a piece of work on Tuesday and blew me and Ruby out of the water. It was extraordinary," said Mullins. "I was amazed, it was the best piece of work he had done all season. I suppose we hoped he might have been back to where he was before Christmas but he was actually better.
"When he missed Cheltenham I wondered whether we should even try to go for Punchestown but I'm glad we did and this race throws up a good horse every year.
"I thought that when he beat Go Native over Christmas that horse mightn't have been as wound up as he was when he won at Cheltenham so I was worried about him.
"It was a slow run race today and Ruby just waited with him before showing the speed he has. Ruby gave him a balls of steel ride there because he just sat and sat and waited. He probably had to nudge his way his through and Davy Russell was making it hard for him but once he got going, he was fine."
Hurricane Fly was quoted at prices ranging from 5/2 (Coral) to 5/1 (Cashmans) at the head of next year's Champion Hurdle betting and Mullins added: "He will be aimed at the Champion Hurdle next season and he could run on the Flat, although I took him out of the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup today to remove any temptation to go there, and might also go for a race in France. Kempes ran a fantastic race and has the scope to jump fences."
David Casey, rider of Kempes, said: "He's run a cracker and the winner is a very good horse. The lack of pace probably suited Hurricane Fly - he has all the pace in the world and the speed to win over a mile.
"I couldn't fault my horse because he has run an absolute cracker. He stays very well and gallops all day. He keeps trying but we were never going to beat the winner. Kempes is honest, tough and young and is going to win plenty of good races."
Wedger Pardy, trained locally by Ted Walsh, won the opening KHC FR SEAN BREEN MEMORIAL CHASE (for the Ladies Perpetual Cup) for a second successive year. Walsh's daughter Katie was in the saddle for the six-length victory and the winner could reappear on Saturday.
"These are just ordinary old horses but he likes the banks, jumps well and is probably the best of a moderate lot," said the winning trainer.
"The Ladies Cup means a lot for everyone involved in point-to-pointing in Ireland, I rode in it myself a few times, so it's special for Katie to win it. He'll probably run again here on Saturday, he's in the hunter chase but will probably go for the Irish Field Chase over the banks course."
