Respect makes nice start to season

Road To Respect added to earlier Gigginstown House Stud gains with Samco and Death Duty in the Grade 3 Irish Daily Star Chase at Punchestown. Samcro won the four-year-old maiden at Monksgrange point-to-point County Wexford in 2016, whilst Road To Respect took the honours in that event the previous year when with Eoin Griffin.

Transferred to Noel Meade after seven efforts on the racecourse proper for Griffin, Road To Respect reached a career high 186 days back when taking the Grade 1 Ryanair Gold Cup.

That of course came hot on the heels of a handicap win at the Cheltenham festival.

Here he was the only one to get to the bold front running outsider, Kilcarry Bridge and in the end the successful chestnut had a length and a half in hand.

Gigginstown also had the third home, Sub Lieutenant

His fellow big fancy, Minella Rocco (7/4 favourite) never really gave huge cause for optimism. The Gold Cup second ended up taking fourth.

"I'm delighted. We had Disko and himself in this and felt this fella just comes a little bit quicker and the other fella takes a little more work," said Meade on the Sean Flanagan ridden victor (doubling up after their earlier win with Lex Talionis .

"I think Disko will go to the north for the JN Wine Chase. It could well be that this fella goes for the second season novice in the north, I don't know and we'll see what happens.

"He's back well and he done that well. We're not surprised he won, we thought he came on a good bit since last year.

"He seemed very well and he doesn't take a lot of work, it's just keeping him fresh and keeping him happy.

"He said he was a bit rusty early on and landed a bit steep and whatever, but when he went he got there real well.

"He stays. In fairness Eoin (Griffin) said that to me, he couldn't believe we were talking about two-and-a-half. All along he always felt that three miles is his trip.

"He's matured into a nice horse. That's the softest he's won on I think. We're thrilled.

"Hopefully he comes sound and he's alright. We can think about where we go after that.

"Anything is open to him. He's in the big one in the north as well but it might come a bit soon and we have Disko.

"There is a board meeting every time and decisions are made. In fairness Mike and Eddie do sort of row in with you and go with what you say. It's not all one-way traffic or anything like that.

"There are other horses to be considered. I know with Mike the one thing he always seems to do is run in Grade Ones so if we go in a good race there will be no problem with him."

D.N. Russell, rider of Zabana trained by Andrew Lynch, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount didn't jump well.

(GC & EM)