Coach Carter a third winner on day for Elliott and Kennedy First-reserve Coach Carter took full advantage of his opportunity in the second split of the extended two mile maiden hurdle at Punchestown with a striking turn of foot. Jack Kennedy's mount was fully 14th jumping the third last and still wasn't in the picture at the next obstacle. He began to motor once touching down, though, and stormed into sixth approaching the home bend. The Sholokhov gelding knifed through his remaining rivals to hit the front, full of running, coming to the last. He wasn't fluent at it but ran on well to post a three and a half length victory at 16/1. This was his hurdling debut after a third place in a Galway bumper in October. The well-backed James Fort (9/1 - 11/2) finished second and was four and three quarter lengths in front of Golf Marin who went off at 7/4 having been 6/1 in the morning. Rumoroso, the 6/4 favourite, made most on his return from an absence of 888 days but weakened rounding the home turn. Kennedy said: “He’s done it very well. He jumped great and travelled well. He picked up well turning across the bottom. “He’s a nice horse and hopefully he’ll keep improving.” This winner gave Kennedy and Gordon Elliott a treble on the card as they also successfully teamed up with Black Tears and Papal Lodge. Additional reporting by Alan Magee
