Avant defies top-weight in style

Well-backed favorite Marlbroook made a bad mistake at the first and was soon pulled up injured. The Grade A EMS Copiers Novice Handicap Chase soon became all the more open but Avant Tout ran out a convincing winner in any case under Paul Townend in Punchestown’s second event.

The chestnut, a winner over hurdles at the Festival last year, got the second last fence wrong, and went away to his right on landing.

However the Supreme Racing Club-owned and Willie Mullins-trained 11/2 second favourite was still full of running.

He flew the last if again a bit to his right but he quickly asserted to beat Mr Diablo by two and three parts of a length. Pairofbrowneyes ran another big race, to finish third for the second time at Festival 2016.

"That was a good performance for a novice to carry top-weight in a handicap," said Mullins.

"It possibly looked a Galway Plate performance to me and we might aim him at that now.

"There was so much crowding there and Paul said he nearly got wiped out three from home. After coming through that he shouldn't have any problem with the hustle and bustle of Galway.

"He won last summer and we'll keep him going. Everytime I put them away it's hard to get them back for Galway.

"He handles good and soft ground so the ground wouldn't be an issue.

"The one issue is that he's rated 145 so he'll get five or seven for that and I don't know the last horse to win a Galway Plate off a mark of 150. We'll have to look at the stats.

"It will either be that or we will put him by for the Hennessy. He might have left Galway behind winning that. I think there is another good race in him."

(GC & EM)