Pacolet pounces for repeat success
Grant was in no hurry and the winner had a wall of horses in front of him approaching the home turn.
Star Wood was now getting the best of the battle with Kahuna, but Pacolet powered up towards the outside and was in control close home to score by half a length.
The win was tinged with sadness, however, for trainer, Pat Flynn, who lost his English-import Daylami Star, formerly in the care of John Gosden, about five furlongs out.
He broke a pastern and had to be put down. Said Flynn: “It is just one of those things. He was a lovely horse for a lovely new owner.”
Pacolet was completing an unusual hat-trick, having won his previous two races over fences, at Cork and Punchestown.
Said Flynn: “He is very sweet at the moment and we want to keep him ticking over with the Galway Plate in mind.
“In the meantime he will go to Killarney on Sunday for a ladies race and Adrienne Foley will ride.”
Mikey O'Connor, fresh from his first double at Limerick on Monday, gave the gambled-on Johnny Gonzalez a copybook ride to win the J Winston Building Contractors' Handicap Chase.
Taken from 7-1 to 9-2, the seven-year-old was produced with impeccable timing to cruise ahead between the final two fences and score with plenty in hand.
Willie Supple gave Harry Rogers' Islandbane a canny front-running drive to take the Kilsheelan Handicap.
Fran Berry rode his 14th winner of the campaign when guiding heavily-backed, and tail-swishing, Rajnagan to victory in the Irish Stallion Farms' EBF Maiden.
The Ruby Walsh-partnered Doublle Paddy, 7-2 to 9-4 favourite, made all for a bloodless win in the Sporting Press Maiden Hurdle.
Your Sum Man, 5-4 to 4-6, hardly broke sweat to land the Bumper for J P Magnier and Tony Mullins.
