Lisnagar enjoys better Fortune with Punchestown win

Lisnagar Oscar's half-brother Lisnagar Fortune (10/11f) today gained compensation for a noteworthy narrow defeat in his most-recent race, landing Punchestown's SkyBet Acca Freeze Maiden Hurdle, to provide trainer Willie Mullins with a double.

Racing's novice-hurdle landscape may have been impacted by that Cork November maiden hurdle as Lisnagar Fortune's narrow short-head defeat by stablemate Readin Tommy Wrong, resulted in both horses taking different paths on subsequent runs.

On Friday, Readin Tommy Wrong caused a 16/1 upset when upped in class to win Naas' Grade 1 novice — overturning another better-fancied stablemate Ile Atlantique, and today Lisnagar Fortune remained in the maiden 'lane', when racing keenly and making all to comfortably beat Jasko Des Dames

Mullins, earlier successful with impressive Mystical Power wasn't present and winning jockey Paul Townend reported “the penny is dropping a little bit with him and on form he was entitled to win after the run in Mallow (Cork racecourse).

“He's just taken a while to come to hand and learn his jumping and things. I thought today was the best he has jumped and he'll progress away.

“From getting beaten a few times he has plenty of experience going forwards. He'll end up going further but he was too keen. He's starting to race now and to learn. He'll end up going back out in trip in time but I'm not sure if it's the right time yet.”

The winner's half-brother Lisnagar Oscar won the 2020 Stayers Hurdle for Rebecca Curtis and jockey Adam Wedge.

Quotes from Gary Carson