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Irish National Hunt Festival 2009 |
All the News from Day 2 at Punchestown
29/04/09
NOTRE PERE STRIKES GOLD
Notre Pere put a frustrating few months behind him when lighting up the second day of the 2009 Punchestown Festival with a 13-length victory in the feature Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup.
The French-bred, who was scoring in the Grade 1 contest 15 years after Merry Gale won for his trainer Jim Dreaper, had been forced to miss the Cheltenham Gold Cup as a result of a small piece of birch in his skin picked up when landing the Welsh National in December.
"The ground came right and helped him today and maybe it didn’t suit the others so well," said Dreaper of the 15/8 favourite.
"It’s no secret that this going is ideal for him, he stays very well and he was perhaps not suited by having to go on so far out. But there will be a better gallop in the Gold Cup and on heavy ground he would have a chance at Cheltenham.
"He’s rated 163 now but would need to improve a bit to the 170s to compete with the Kauto Stars and Denmans but hey, he’s the best I have. I’m delighted to get today out of the way. The plan now is to win the Gold Cup twice, it’s what you aim for with every horse but very few get there.
"He just had a four millimetre piece of birch in his skin, it can happen when they drag a leg through a fence, and the vets found it with ultrasound. His leg had flared up twice - on January 15 and then on March 1 he had the same thing. He ran OK against Neptune Collonges in February but I was aware he was not 100 per cent.
"It could flare up again at any time and he is going to have it removed on Tuesday.
"But I just thought he was bang on for the one day today, as he had been in the Welsh National."
Owner Pat Conway added: "We thought he was right - he wasn't right at Leopardstown and we thought he wasn't as fresh as he could be. So we got him freshened up for today and we probably got the ground we wanted.
"You need patience in this game - we waited and waited, hopefully to get it right on the day and things have come right today. This horse stays better than Harcon (who finished second in the 1995 Sun Alliance Chase at Cheltenham) - he only just about got three miles but this fella will stay and stay all day."
His son Jarlath Conway continued: "It's fantastic and he certainly stamped his authority here today. After the Welsh National, he probably didn't get the credit he was due but he removed that doubt today. It's fantastic to win a race like this."
DUNGUIB IS "THE REAL DEAL"
Runaway Cheltenham bumper winner Dunguib put in a repeat performance in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Champion INH Flat Race to storm home nine lengths clear of Sweeps Hill and justify 9/10 favouritism.
The winner is as short as 3/1 for next year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham after the success and trainer Philip Fenton is looking forward to next season.
"This horse is the real deal, he seems to have the whole package," said Fenton. "He travels so well on the bridle but when you do squeeze, by God he picks up. He is a superstar of a horse.
"He came here in good form and I suppose that the biggest worry was maybe tactics through the race but the gallop was good and the best horse won. He was brilliant.
"He won't be over-raced next season. All going well we might start off with a maiden hurdle and he might not appear until some time in October. He will probably have two runs before Christmas.
"He’s been schooled plenty over hurdles and when he put the weight back on after Cheltenham we decided to come here, there were seven weeks between the two races. He’ll have plenty more schooling before he makes an appearance over hurdles and I think he’ll be two-mile novice racing. If all goes to plan he’ll end up in the Supreme Novices’ at Cheltenham."
Owners Dan Hartnett and Lily Lawlor are rumoured to have received some big offers for Dunguib but Fenton added: "I don’t think he’ll be sold. The owners are great people and they leave the decisions totally to myself which is great."
John ‘Shark’ Hanlon, trainer of third-placed Luska Lad, said: "He ran a cracker and was maybe just a bit free early on but the winner is something special."
CROWD
The crowd on day two of the Punchestown Festival was 16,246.
THE MIDNIGHT CLUB COULD BE NATIONAL HORSE – LATEST NEWS FROM PUNCHESTOWN
Emmet Mullins got The Midnight Club up in the dying strides to take the Madra Dog Food 21st Anniversary Novice Hurdle by three-quarters of a length from Sam Adams.
Mullins’ uncle Willie trains the eight-year-old, who justified 7/4 favouritism, and believes he has a big future over the larger obstacles.
"I think he could be a Grand National horse one day," said the winning trainer. "He loves soft ground, is a natural jumper and relishes a trip. He’ll be going over fences now and with this weather we could send him novice chasing in the next few weeks as the new season begins on Monday. I’m thinking of doing it with one or two of mine but will wait until after Punchestown to decide."
No One Tells Me (6/1) relished the underfoot conditions to fight off all comers and capture the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle by three-quarters of a length for trainer Jessica Harrington.
"Of my three I fancied her most on this ground," said Harrington. "She’s a tough little filly and knew what she was doing. She might run on the flat as she has a handicap mark but she has been on the go for a while so we’ll have to see."
Winning rider Robbie Power added: "She won well at Wexford and ran well at Fairyhouse when she finished third - I thought it was actually a better run than when she won. She has been improving over the past six weeks and it's a nice pot for the owners.
"I was in front way too soon and, down at the start, there was nothing that was going to go on and I was afraid of having to do my own pace. Thankfully Philip (Carberry on Fr Dominic) decided that he would go on and that helped me for a bit. As soon as I was in front, she wasn't doing a stroke and I always felt that nothing was going to get past us - she was doing plenty to hold on for me."
The Michael O’Hare-trained Montana Slim sprang a 25/1 surprise when taking the opening Martinstown Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle to give rider Keith Clarke a high-profile success.
"I was taking a pull a long way out," said Clarke. "He jumped and travelled almost too well all of the way round. I didn’t want to get there too soon but I had no choice as he was going so well."
GOING
The official going was changed to Soft to Heavy after the second race.
