Classy return by Voler La Vedette
Colm Murphy’s mare, in the hands of Barry Geraghty, oozed class throughout, jumping fluently and was produced to challenge on the home-turn before forging clear to beat Star Wood by three lengths, without being asked a serious question. Elyaadi, the winner’s chief market rival, finished a well-beaten third.
The performance pleased trainer Murphy who enthused: “I’m delighted to get that out of the way. She came here a little bit under-cooked and will improve an awful lot off it. She’ll come back here for the ‘Morgiana’ and, after a couple of runs, we’ll decide on plans. But we won’t be getting carried away. And she won’t be going on her travels this side of Christmas.”
Murphy added: “She has matured and strengthened a lot over the summer. She was a filly last year, she’s a mare this year. And she wore ear-plugs for the first time today. And they worked wonders.
“Last time here, she went around the parade-ring like a scalded cat and had run her race before she went onto the track. She was different today and settled like a lamb for Barry, which made the job a lot easier.”
Later Noel Meade declared: “He jumped brilliantly and I’m delighted with him,” after classy hurdler Muirhead, without a win since landing the 2007 ‘Royal Bond’ at Fairyhouse, justified 2/5 favouritism in the concluding Dobbins Food Hall Beginners Chase.
The Paul Carberry-ridden seven-year-old jumped well but looked in trouble between the last two fences. Away from the final fence quicker than Coolavanny Gaffer, Muirhead kept going under pressure to score by a neck.
Meade admitted: “I suppose you’d expect him to win a bit easier. But he was late coming back to me and isn’t fully wound-up. He’s a hard horse to keep right, but I was anxious to run him on that good ground.
“He’s not over big or robust and is light-framed. But, when he schooled in the spring, he was brilliant and took to fences straight away. The way he’s bred, he should stay really well, although I wouldn’t be trying him over three miles in soft ground. I’ll look for a winner’s race in about three weeks and take it from there.”
The earlier Punchestown Event Centre Maiden Hurdle produced a fascinating battle between market principals First Lieutenant and White Star Line, victory going to the odds-on favourite under Andrew McNamara.
A winning ‘pointer’, First Lieutenant was staying on stoutly and had the edge when the runner-up made a mistake at the final flight, the pair pulling 15 lengths clear of the third.
First Lieutenant is trained for Gigginstown House Stud by Mouse Morris who commented: “He’s still a big baby and needs to learn about racing. But he’s a nice prospect, a real stayer, at home over any trip from two and a half to three miles. And we won’t be rushing him.”
Fourth to Golden Kite in Sunday’s Munster National at Limerick, when “a bit compromised” according to his trainer Paul Magnier, Duers made a quick reappearance to defy top-weight in the www.punchestown.com Handicap Chase.
The eight-year-old, ridden, as he was on Sunday, by Ruby Walsh, produced an exhibition of fluent jumping to beat Old Si convincingly, prompting his trainer to explain: “He’s a great jumper. And I just hope the ground stays in his favour. He suffers from chronic asthma and has to be nebulised every day - that’s why he doesn’t run too often.
“He’s progressive and, with a good mark over hurdles, could go back to that job now. And the driver made a big difference - we don’t get the best drivers too often.”
Accidental Outlaw, a morning gamble carrying the colours of JP McManus, justified favouritism in the opening three-year-old hurdle, under a confident ride by Mark Walsh.
And Frank Berry, representing McManus commented: “He didn’t jump wonderful, but learned a bit from his run Clonmel. I suppose he’ll go for a ‘winners of one’ somewhere.”
Trainer Colin Bowe continued his tremendous run, both on the track and in the point-to-point field, when Our Victoria, a three-parts sister to Our Vic, got home by a short-head from Catcherinscratcher in the mares bumper.
A dual-winner in the pointing sphere and beaten at Casteltowngeoghegan, the Old Vic mare battled courageously under Barry O’Neill to land the spoils. And Bowe said: “Jumping is her game. And she’ll go for a three-mile maiden hurdle next.”
And Christy Roche will consider a quick follow-up at Cork on Sunday for Green To Gold after his eight lengths win under Alan Crowe in the 2011 Five Day Festival Handicap Hurdle.
