Fortuna too strong for JP's pair

O Fortuna (cost 50,000 Euros as a foal), in the familiar Gerry Burke silks, kept the J P McManus-owned pair Fever Pitch and Princeton Plains at bay on the run-in to take the first divide of the Festival Hospitality Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown.

The victory of the Bryan Cooper-ridden (deputising for the ill Roger Loughran) O Fortuna wasn't completely unexpected either as he was backed from 12/1 this morning into 9/1. O Fortuna, a son of King's Theatre, is from a good family, being a half-brother to Go Roger Go.

Winning trainer Dessie Hughes said: "If you go back to his Leopardstown run he'd have a chance (fourth there on his debut). He had two bad runs since though and the last day I couldn't find anything wrong with him (pulled up at Cork 65 days back) but on his previous run to that we found mucus.

"He's a nice horse and he should be better on better ground."