Uncle Junior spoils the Garde Champetre party
Garde Champetre was looking for his sixth victory over the course and went off the 10-11 favourite but lost vital ground when slipping entering the home straight.
He managed to recover and get back into the race, but Uncle Junior, a newcomer to the niche discipline for Willie Mullins, had a little extra up his sleeve and won by two and a quarter lengths.
Winning jockey Patrick Mullins said: “To be honest, his schooling hadn’t gone well and when Garde Champetre joined him I thought he might have got me, but we got a couple of strides in front and he’s as tough as old boots.”
Trainer Enda Bolger added: “I thought at one point he might not even get in the first four.
“The other horse took it to him, but he ran well.
“He’ll probably come back here in December.”
Meanwhile Jessica Harrington may not run Steps To Freedom again until the Festival after the 11-8 favourite produced a stinging finish to beat Prospect Wells by a neck in the Grade Two Opus Energy Novices’ Hurdle.
“He’s had a long summer and we might just put him away until Cheltenham now, maybe with just a prep-run on the all-weather,” said Harrington.
“I think he’s good. He showed today that he handled the course and he had to battle.”
