Supreme Peace success
Supreme Peace saw out the trip best to land the opening race at Punchestown this afternoon, the Event Power Handicap Hurdle.
Grand National hopeful Hedgehunter had forced a fast pace with Romaha for much of the three-mile contest before the pair faded with three flights to go.
Market Mariner went for home, but Kevin Coleman and the Francis Flood-trained Supreme Peace (4-1) appeared to be travelling better, and although it took a while for the penny to drop, the gelding kept going to beat his rival by a length and a half.
Justified put himself in the Cheltenham Festival picture and gave Mick Fitzgerald a successful spare ride as he spreadeagled a competitive field in the Byrne Group Plc Novice Hurdle.
Fitzgerald was deputising for the injured Shay Barry aboard Eamonn Sheehy’s gelding, and he had little to do as the pair tracked the pacemaking Blazing Liss.
The well-supported 9-4 favourite went clear before the second last, and came home in his own time, 14 lengths clear of Blazing Liss to provide Sheehy with a second consecutive win in the Grade Two race.
Sheehy said: “He won’t run again before Cheltenham. The Supreme Novices’ is the favoured race but it will depend on the ground.
“He stays very well if the ground is quick we might have to think again.
“We deliberately missed running at Christmas to wait for this race which we won last year with Kahuna. I’m still only learning how to train this horse.”
Cashmans quickly slashed Justified’s odds to 10-1 for the Letheby & Christopher-sponsored contest, which opens the meeting at Prestbury Park.
Moscow Flyer had a brief moment's worry, but produced an exemplary round of jumping to land the Byrne Group Plc Tied Cottage Chase.
Sent off the 2-11 favourite, the 11-year-old was foot perfect at his fences and made all the running during the two-mile race, but appeared to idle before the last.
Steel Band was starting to get closer, but Barry Geraghty only had to keep Moscow Flyer up to his work, and he quickened clear to a cosy two and a half length success.
