Review punchestown 11th Jan

< Vautour did little to advertise his Cheltenham Festival prospects as he was made to pull out all the stops to win the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

Impressive when successful on his Irish debut at Navan last month, Willie Mullins' French import was sent off the 1-4 favourite and everything seemed to be going to plan when he eased ahead going to the last.

But he slowed into the jump and Paul Townend had to ask him to dig deep to resist the challenge of Western Boy before he took the Grade Two contest by three-quarters of a length.

Mullins and Townend doubled up when City Slicker banished the memory of a poor run in the Ladbroke at Ascot with an emphatic victory in the Punchestown Rated Hurdle.

The 11-4 chance had odds-on favourite Un Beau Matin for company entering the closing stages but was always travelling best and jumping the last in front, kept on well to score by three lengths.< Mullaghanoe River fell two out when going well at Down Royal last month, but Noel Meade's 2-1 chance put that behind him with a ready victory in the Festival Hospitality From 99euros Beginners Chase, collaring the odds-on Si C'Etait Vrai to score by three-quarters of a length under Paul Carberry.< Annie Oakley was only fifth jumping the last in the Follow Us On Facebook & Twitter Handicap Hurdle, but Jessie Harrington's 6-1 shot responded well to Robbie Power's urgings to swoop down the outside for a head victory.

Francis Flood's Too Late To Sell (12-1) was a 10-length winner on his last visit to Punchestown and repeated the trick in the Connolly's Red Mills Amateur National, taking charge on the home bend under Jamie Flynn and pulling 15 lengths clear of Carry Each Other

Shark Hanlon 's Refused A Name (7-2) was given a hefty hike up the ratings after winning easily at Down Royal last time but it made no difference as he led after the second-last to take the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Chase by two and a half lengths under Chris Timmons.