Jumbo Rio won feature at Punchestown today

Andrew McNamara won the feature race of the day, The Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Grade 1 Hurdle aboard 5/2 shot Jumbo Rio of Edward O'Gradys.

McNamara raced the Captain Rio gelding towards rear, made progress to chase leader approaching straight and was closing all the time on the long time leader Tharawaat under Davy Russell when the pair took a crashing fall at the last and left Jumbo Rio in front and stayed on well to hold off the fast finishing Willie Mullins trained Mourad by 4 lengths.

Winning trainer O'Grady said afterwards, "That was some compensation for the owner who lost Alexander Severus a few weeks ago. This horse will make a very good horse in time. Things didn't go right for him in Cheltenham, he got kicked at the start and Ebaziyan didn't help when he ran out. He did a nice bit of work before he came here and he was very lucky the faller didn't take him out. He will go on all ground except firm."