Son shines at Punchestown

Cuchulains Son and Ruby Walsh eclipsed Punchestown Champion Bumper winner Mick The Man when the latter made his debut over timber in the Kildare Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown.

Sent off the 11-8 favourite to notch at the first time of asking, the Noel Meade-trained runner-up was covered up in a tightly-packed field before making an eyecatching run as the field swung for home.

However, Walsh was with him every step of the way on the 9-2 winner, and that pair took the final obstacle much the tidier to set up a one-and-a-half-length win.

Cuchulains Son is trained by Willie Mullins and owned by John Brennan, who is sure to have been pleased with the result after his odds-on favourite Norther Bay was turned over in the opener.

Lyceum ensured favourite-backers endured a torrid start to the afternoon’s punting when he proved 11 lengths too good for Paul Nolan’s charge.

The Dessie Hughes-trained winner was landing his fourth victory of the year over timber when staying on too stoutly for the 1-2 favourite in the Tote Sports Lounge Novice Hurdle.

Norther Bay soon adopted his customary role at the head of affairs in the two-mile heat and seemed to be going well enough for jockey David Casey as the principals approached the penultimate flight.

But Roger Loughran was also sitting pretty aboard the 9-4 winner, and when he asked the five-year-old to put his seal on the race before the last, Lyceum did not disappoint.