Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle
Grade 1, Punchestown 17:25
 €250,000 added,
4yo plus,
3m, Class 1    
Thursday 29th April 2021

1 Klassical Dream 5/1
2 James Du Berlais 16/1
3 Ronald Pump 17/2
14 ran NR: Mrs Milner Distances: 9l, 3½l, 9½l
Time: 5m 56.90s (slow by 20.90s)

Klassical Dream defied a 487-day absence to claim Grade 1 honours at Punchestown.

A ready winner of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2019, when he also followed up at this meeting, his career hit the buffers last season.

Sent off an odds-on favourite in two Grade One outings, he was beaten in both, most recently in the Matheson Hurdle in December 2019 when last of five.

However, having his first outing for nearly 500 days, there was plenty of market confidence behind Patrick Mullins’ mount which saw him sent off at 5-1 in a strong field.

The favourite was Cheltenham winner Flooring Porter but he got very worked up down at the start, missed the break, raced keenly throughout and by the second last he was beating a retreat.

Trainers Quotes

French Dynamite was left in front, but all the while Mullins crept closer on Klassical Dream, who cruised to the front on the bridle.

Stablemate James Du Berlais came out of the pack to chase him home, but was beaten nine lengths. Ronald Pump was third.

Patrick Mullins said: “I can’t say I’m surprised. He’s a very high-class horse, it just went wrong for him over two miles.

“I know he hadn’t run for a long time, but he was ready to run at Christmas and he got a small setback and then it was too late to go chasing.

“Eilish Byrne deserves great credit as she rides him out all the time and he’s not easy.

“I wasn’t surprised how well he settled, he had a hood on and we went a good gallop. The false start wasn’t ideal, but he handled it all right.”

Mullins mentioned the French Champion Hurdle as a possible option for the winner.

QuinnBet

Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle
€250,000 added, 4yo plus, 3m, Class 1
14 ran
Going: Yielding, Good to Yielding in places

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1     Klassical Dream 7 11-12 W P Mullins Mr P W Mullins 5/1
2 9 James Du Berlais 5 11-11 W P Mullins Brian Hayes 16/1
3 3½ Ronald Pump 8 11-12 Matthew J Smith Keith Donoghue 17/2
4 9½ French Dynamite 6 11-12 M F Morris Rachael Blackmore 12/1
5 3½  Sole Pretender 7 11-12 Norman Lee Mr J J Codd 18/1
6 1½ Diol Ker 7 11-12 Noel Meade Darragh O'Keeffe 66/1
7 3 The Storyteller 10 11-12 Mrs Denise Foster Denis O'Regan 14/1
8 4½ Saldier 7 11-12 W P Mullins Danny Mullins 10/1
9 9 Bacardys 10 11-12 W P Mullins Sean O'Keeffe 50/1
10 1¼ Heaven Help Us 7 11-5 Paul Hennessy Richard Condon 25/1
11 ¾ Agrapart 10 11-12 Mrs Jane Williams C Williams 150/1
FELL Beacon Edge 7 11-12 Noel Meade Sean Flanagan 5/1
PU Flooring Porter 6 11-12 Gavin Cromwell Jonathan Moore 100/30F
PU Fury Road 7 11-12 Mrs Denise Foster Jack Kennedy 11/1
NR 15 1324F1 Mrs Milner 6 11-5 Paul Nolan NON RUNNER

SureWIn

Year Horse Age/Wt Owner Trainer Jockey SP
2020 Abandoned - Covid-19
2019 Unowhatimeanharry 10-11-10 J P McManus H Fry M P Walsh 16/1
2018 Faugheen 10-11-10 Mrs S Ricci Willie Mullins DJ Mullins 11/2
2017 Unowhatimeanharry 9-11-10 J P McManus H Fry N D Fehily 4/1
2016 One Track Mind 6-11-10 Andy Weller W Greatrex Gavin Sheehan 10/1
2015 Jezki 7-11-10 J P McManus Jessica Harrington Mark Walsh 5/2
2014 Jetson 9-11-10 Gerard & Moira McGrath Jessica Harrington Davy Russell 20/1
2013 Quevega 9-11-03 Hammer & Trowel Synd. Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 6/4 Fav
2012 Quevega 8-11-03 Hammer & Trowel Synd. Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 11/10 Fav
2011 Quevega 7-11-05 Hammer & Trowel Synd. Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 8/11 Fav
2010 Quevega 6-11-05 Hammer & Trowel Synd. Willie Mullins Paul Townend 5/2 Fav
2009 Fiveforthree 7-11-10 Olde Crowbars Syndicate Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 5/4 Fav
2008 Blazing Bailey 6-11-10 Three Line Whip Alan King GB Robert Thornton 100/30 Fav
2007 Refinement 8-11-07 Michael Tabor Jonjo O’Neill GB A P McCoy 16/1
2006 Asian Maze 7-11-07 Sheila Moore Tom Mullins Ruby Walsh 8/13 Fav
2005 Carlys Quest 11-11-12 Mrs L Neville Ferdy Murphy GB Keith Mercer 25/1
2004 Rhinestone Cowboy 8-11-12 Sue Magnier Jonjo O’Neill GB Mr J P Magnier 5/2
2003 Holy Orders 6-11-12 Alan McLuckie Willie Mullins Shay Barry 6/1
2002 Limestone Lad 10-11-12 James Bowe James Bowe Paul Carberry 4/6 Fav
*2001 Bannow Bay 6-11-12 Linda Shanahan Christy Roche Charlie Swan 11/8 Fav
2000 Rubhahunish 9-11-11 Lone Star Racing P’ship Nigel Twiston-Davies GB Carl Llewellyn 5/1
1999 Anzum 8-12-00 Old Foresters Partnership David Nicholson GB Richard Johnson 7/1
1998 Derrymoyle 9-12-00 Herb M Stanley Michael Cunningham A P McCoy 10/1
1997 Paddy’s Return 5-11-12 Paddy O’Donnell Ferdy Murphy GB Norman Williamson 100/30
1996 Derrymoyle 7-12-00 Herb M Stanley Michael Cunningham Mark Dwyer 100/30
1995 Derrymoyle 6-11-11 Herb M Stanley Michael Cunningham Mark Dwyer 8/1
1994 Ultra Flutter 7-10-06 Donal Higgins Michael Hourigan Kevin O’Brien 7/2
1993 Always In Trouble 6-10-02 Margaret O’Rourke Michael O’Brien Jason Titley 8/1
1992 Shuil Ar Aghaidh 6-10-01 Mrs P Kiely Paddy Kiely Charlie Swan 2/1 Fav
* Run at Fairyhouse

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