Review PUNCHESTOWN 18TH NOV

Purple Shuffle's game success in the Irish Field Novice Chase was the highlight of a treble for Barry Geraghty at Punchestown on Saturday.

The Grade 3 event produced a terrific finish with Pat Fahy's charge narrowly holding the late challenge of Vic Venturi.

The four-runner field was reduced to three with Oulart falling four out and leaving Purple Shuffle in the lead.

Vic Venturi threw down a challenge at the last but couldn't find a way past the 14/1 outsider, who stuck to his task well for Geraghty to prevail by a head.

'We expected a big run. Ruby (Walsh) said last time that if he stayed he was a class horse - he was very excited about him,' revealed Fahy.

'We seen this race over this trip and decided to put him in to see where we stood. He's going to improve and is a very very good jumper. We'll have to see where we'll go from here.'

Geraghty wasted no time opening his account, getting 5/4 f Piltown home by a length in the opening Event Centre 3-Y-O Hurdle.

Joe Crowley's charge had to battle to see off the challenge of 20/1 shot Sophist by a length after hitting the front entering the straight.

'He'll go home now for a break and come back in the spring,' revealed Crowley. 'It was a little bit too heavy for him maybe but he handled it reasonably well.'

Dolphin Bay (13/2f) also benefited from a strong drive by Geraghty when getting home by a short-head from The Colt King.

The gelding gave trainer James Burns a 40th birthday present when battling well to prevail in the Pat Moore Building Ltd Novice Handicap Hurdle.

Cadogan defied a 664-day absence to claim the Collier Jackson Stops Hurdle in good style.

The Jim Dreaper-trained gelding moved sweetly into the lead before the turn and Andrew Lynch kept him going, after an untidy jump at the last, to score by four-and-a-half lengths from stable-mate Militant.

'He likes a gap between his races!' joked Dreaper. 'He may be a proper horse. It's not entirely true that he was off all that time as we had him semi ready last February but he had sinus trouble.'

Never Compromise could make the trip to Cheltenham next month for another cross-country event after a game front-running performance, under Katie Walsh, in the Event Power Risk Of Thunder Chase.

Hotel Hilamar opened his jumping account in good style when a comfortable three-and-a-half length winner of the Narraghmore Maiden Hurdle.

'He's a good horse but is probably still a bit weak,' said trainer Noel Meade. 'He'll go for a novice hurdle somewhere now.'

Meade recorded a double when Offaly ran out an easy all-the-way winner of the bumper under Nina Carberry.