Cawley collects in first of Full Circle Series qualifiers

Petit King (14/1) won the first of Punchestown's Full Circle Series Qualifiers today, as the expensive store purchase gained an overdue maiden win, thus qualifying for April's final.

Today's handicap hurdle was the first of 10 such qualifiers - divided equally between Ireland and the U.K., with the first six finishers from each race being eligible for the €80,000 final, run over 2m4f, on the opening day of the Punchestown festival.

Petit King's place in the April final was assured with a half-mile of today's race but had to find further acceleration to win, eventually quickening past runner-up Morricone on the run-in.

The Creachadoir gelding cost €110,000 as a three-year-old, and today winning owner/trainer Eddie Cawley reported “he ran a great race in Fairyhouse for me at the festival meeting at Easter where a horse fell and he got driven out into the next parish. After that I thought 'if I could keep him right'.”

He added “I thought Philip (Enright, winning jockey) was leaving him with a lot to do but said he thought he had enough in hand to get there and when he went for him, he found a little more.

“It's a tough battle in that ground but it is loose.

“I think we'll keep him at the hurdles because he didn't impress me a lot when we tried him over fences and we'll take what comes.

“The horses are healthy at the moment and fit and that's all you can hope for.”

Quotes from Gary Carson