74/1 Punchestown brace for Mrs Harrington team

Guiri and Simon Torrens in the opener set the ball rolling nicely for Jessica Harrington, and she doubled up in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle through the Robbie Power-ridden Lifetime Ambition at Punchestown.

After finally making the breakthrough, and in style too at Limerick last time, the point-to-point winner built on that with another lovely performance here.

Never far away, Lifetime Ambition kept on strongly from before the last to go clear, accounting for Fastorslow by twelve lengths.

“He has a very high cruising speed this horse, and it’s the old cliché — you saw the way he jumped there — he’s going to make a real nice chaser,” said Power.

“We’ll credit Kate (Mrs Harrington’s daughter — bought the horse) with this one.

“They’re flying (the yard’s runners). Every year come Punchestown Jessie always pulls a few out of the bag.

“That’s 45 winners for the season for myself — not too bad.”

Meanwhile Kate Harrington stated: “That was a lovely performance and he’s back to what we really thought he was in the autumn.

“He took forever to win his maiden but is a gorgeous big horse who is only starting to fill his frame. Whatever he does over hurdles is a bonus and he’s going over fences next year.

“He works very well but was probably just a bit weak on very testing ground during the winter.

“Robert couldn’t get over how easy he was going the whole way. He said that he has such a high cruising speed.”

Jessica Harrington wasn't in attendance herself as she forgot to do her health screening.

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board Veterinary Officer examined Blue Sari (FR), trained by W.P. Mullins, at the request of the Stewards and reported the animal to be post race normal.

(AM & EM)