Bishop bounces back from fall

The T.J. Nagle trained chaser The Bishop Looney put an intended confidence restoring hurdle run at Punchestown today to good use, when causing a minor 8/1 upset to win the Festival Any Day Flexi-Ticket Hurdle at the Co. Kildare track.

A faller in the Thyestes Chase when last seen last month, the Tom Doyle ridden gelding was a little untidy at the final flight, when third, but galloped gamely to wear down Maggie Connolly on the run-in.

Afterwards winning jockey Doyle said “The Bishop Looney got a horrible fall in the Thyestes, which he didn’t deserve - whatever happened, he would have been in the first three.

“T.J. (Nagle) wanted to get a run into him and to get a bit of confidence for him. He’s not the biggest horse in the world but it was a good tough performance and apart from landing out on his head a bit at the last, he jumped great.

“We didn’t go very quick but we got racing early and it turned into a test then. The long home straight is a big help for him and soft or heavy ground is very important to him.”