 |
|
|
|
|
Irish National Hunt Festival 2009 |
All the News from Day 4 at Punchestown
01/05/09
SOLWHIT CONFIRMS CHAMPION HURDLE CREDENTIALS WITH NARROW WIN
Charles Byrnes and his team were confident with a late flurry seeing Solwhit go off a joint 2/1 favourite for the Grade 1 Rabobank Champion Hurdle and their faith was well and truly justified as the five-year-old held off Champion Hurdler Punjabi by a short-head under Davy Russell.
A winner at Aintree four-weeks ago over two and a half miles, Solwhit denied subsequent Ladbrokes.com World Series Hurdle winner Fiveforthree on that occasion and in winning this he left behind him some top level campaigners to leave Byrnes describing him as the best he has ever trained.
Byrnes said: “He goes on any ground and gets any trip, so it looks like he is top class. I would imagine we would aim him at the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham next season now. I have never trained a Champion Hurdler so I’m not sure what route he will take.
“He has speed, stamina and a bit of toughness about him which I think he'll need for Cheltenham. I wouldn't think he will run on the Flat now. He would well capable of winning on the Flat, but has been on the go since September. He ran at Listowel and would say he is well due a break.”
The Limerick based trainer was ending a memorable season which included a first Cheltenham and Aintree Festival success, "It has been an unbelievable season. To get to win at Cheltenham with Weapons Amnesty was absolutely fantastic and then to get this fella to come along is just great," he concluded.
Successful jockey Davy Russell added: “It’s great and you need a good horse round here. It was a great race - we had gone a good gallop and the ground was heavy. My horse probably didn’t jump as fluently as he can but I was always confident that I would go ahead and win.
“He’s a good horse and he’s going to mature into a nicer horse next year with a summer’s grass. He’s still only five and why can’t he improve? He’s beaten this year’s Champion Hurdle winner and obviously it will be a very hot race next year with the likes of Hurricane Fly and all those horses coming back. But he’s a good horse and he’s on the upgrade.”
Barry Geraghty, rider of the short-head second Punjabi, said: “The slow pace didn’t really suit him. A genuine flat out gallop is his job and it just turn into a little bit of a dash when six of us were upsides turning in. He was bold in fairness to him but a true run race would have suited him.”
 |
Back in fourth was Sizing Europe, who showed some of his old sparkle.
Sean Tiernan, racing manager to owner Alan Potts, commented: “It was a super run and I am delighted. He missed out the second last and he obviously didn’t want to hit the front too soon, like has happened to Andrew before, but he ran great. He didn’t enjoy the ground and we thought he wanted better ground.
“We might give him one run in a novice chase over the next three or four weeks or we may let him out for the summer. From what I have been told by Alan and Henry (De Bromhead), we will be going chasing with him.”
ANOTHER MULLINS 1-2 AS MIKAEL HOLDS VINNY
Described as “a machine” by Ruby Walsh, Mikael D’Haguenet maintained his 100 per cent record under Willie Mullins when landing the Grade 1 Land Rover Champion Novice Hurdle for the simply unstoppable combination.
Mikael D’Haguenet was pitched in against stablemate Cousin Vinny and it was the pair that headed the market which also led home the eight runners, but it was the Ballymore Properties Hurdle winner that had eight lengths to spare at the death and William Hill make him a 4/1 favourite for next year’s RSA Chase at Cheltenham.
“Ruby said at Naas he was a machine. I thought that Cousin Vinny had done some tremendous work during the week - he probably worked better than he had all season - and he has ran the race of his life to finish second. It just shows how good the winner is,” said Mullins, after greeting his 11th winner of this year’s Punchestown Festival.
He continued: “Mikael D’Haguenet had done the work that he was doing prior to Cheltenham. I thought a repetition of the Cheltenham form would make him hard to beat and that is how it worked out.
“I am delighted to see Vinny back on form and, being by Bob Back, he would prefer better ground but I think that the other horse is a fair sort and I am delighted to have the two of them.
“Both will be going chasing next season. We can always come back over hurdles if they don’t take to chasing. Mikael has won over fences in France already and that was one of the key reasons why we bought him last year - he has that experience under his belt and I am looking forward to seeing both of them over fences.
“I will probably put them both away now. Mikael has done everything right this season. We were bold even coming here, especially with the form that Cousin Vinny was in, and I will probably put them away.”
Winning owner Richie Ritchie added: “He’s a machine - Ruby said it after we got the horse at Naas - and it has just been spectacular. It was a very good run. I was worried because he hasn’t been working brilliantly but he showed what a class horse he is today.
“I flew all the way from San Francisco, 8,000 miles, but it has been worth it, very, very worth it.
“It will be chasing all the way next season. Willie thinks that he is a Gold Cup horse and we will test that next year and see how we get on.”
Patrick Mullins, rider of Cousin Vinny was just as impressed as his father regarding the efforts of the runner-up.
He said: “Without a doubt, he ran a cracker. The winner is a very, very good horse. I think maybe on better ground it would have closer as that would not have suited the winner so well.”
Four-year-old Bouggler ran a blinder in third and his trainer Emma Lavelle was pleased with the Aintree winner.
“The owners are absolutely delighted. They are a fantastic crew and travel everywhere with the horse which is great. He has run a blinder. He is a four-year-old, is still learning and this was only his third ever run over hurdles. It's just a shame we have come up against two such fantastic horses that Willie has got - they really are something special. Our boy looks very decent in his own right and a little bit more pace would have helped him.”
CROWD
The attendance on day four of the Punchestown Festival was 28,592 which was down from 30,184 from the corresponding day 12-months ago.
THE MULLINS/WALSH BONANZA CONTINUES ON DAY FOUR AT PUNCHESTOWN
Willie Mullins tasted even more success at the 2009 Punchestown Festival courtesy of both Ballytrim and Equus Maximus, both of whom were earmarked as possible Grand National prospects. Mullins has now trained 10 winners at this year’s festival.
Ballytrim (11/2) left it late to find his rhythm but lasted home well in the gruelling three miles and six furlongs slog of the Eventus Marquees Handicap Chase to score by two-lengths from Rock Diplomat with another Mullins runner Bothar Na in third.
“Ruby said that he was on the first horse beaten and that he was never going anywhere but credit the horse, he just kept grinding it out and finding more,” revealed the winning trainer.
“I don’t think he is good enough to win at graded level. He is a handicapper and I think we might look at the Irish or English National or possibly a Hennessy at Newbury. “
It was a first and fourth for Mullins in the Betfair Novice Handicap Chase as himself and Walsh yet again kept the punters happy when Equus Maximus rallied late to deny the brave effort of Tranquil Sea.
Mullins saddled top-weight Golden Silver to be fourth and afterwards the trainer highlighted similar plans for the winner.
“I thought Golden Silver was unlucky – he ran a cracker – but just made two bad mistakes.
“Equus Maximus I probably ran back too quick a couple of times this season thinking he was right but he wasn’t.
“He loves that ground,” continued Mullins. “He would probably prefer a longer trip and maybe it could be an Irish or English National for him too and if he got this ground he could appear at the Hennessy.”
JOHN DANIEL FOLLOWS IN FAMILY TRADITION WITH FORTUNATE OUTSIDER
John Daniel Moore, son of trainer Arthur and of course a grandson of Dan, got proceedings on day four of the Punchestown Festival off to a surprising start as he landed the KFM Bishopscourt Cup with 50/1 chance Shin A Vee.
One of the newer recruits to the training ranks, Moore has already enjoyed two winners from just five runners under Rules but admitted he was a slightly fortunate winner.
“This is a great local race and I am pleased to win it. It is not really a surprise to us but in fairness if the other horse had of stood up he probably would have beat us,” said the winning trainer who himself was doing the steering.
