Attrition beaten in Durkan
War Of Attrition disappointed as Hi Cloy, trained by Michael Hourigan and ridden by Andrew McNamara, got up in the dying strides to claim glory in the Grade One John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase.
McNamara galvanised the 7-1 chance on the run-in to nail the front-running Jim on the line and prevail by a head in a photo-finish.
Forget The Past was another to have been handy throughout and came home in third ahead of Ned Kelly and the Mouse Morris-trained War Of Attrition, who finished a well-beaten fifth.
Conor O'Dwyer settled the 4-5 favourite in mid-division in the early stages and started to make a move heading towards the fourth-last fence.
But he failed to display the brilliance that has seen him lower the colours of Kicking King and Rathgar Beau this season and he began to drop away going towards three out.
O’Dwyer did not give him a hard race on the heavy ground, however, and let him come home in his own time as Hi Cloy stayed on gamely from the last in a thrilling climax.
