Sizing Granite and Robbie Power© Photo Healy Racing
There was a 1-2 for Ann and Alan Potts and trainer Colin Tizzard as a brilliant day for the owners and Robbie Power got even better in the Grade A Guinness Handicap Chase. Sizing Granite (14/1) led home Viconte Du Noyer (25/1) in the two and a half miler at Punchestown.
All the pre-race attention focused on the gambled-on favourite Polidam for Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh.
He made a couple of mistakes and had no more to give from two out, ultimately beating two home in seventh.
Up front there was no living with former Grade 1 winner, Sizing Granite, and he eventually crossed the line with five lengths to spare over Viconte Du Noyer.
There was a British 1,2,3 as Irish Cavalier took the bronze medal for Rebecca Curtis.
Of course Ann and Alan Potts and Power landed the big one earlier with Jessica Harrington's Sizing John
"When we first had him he wasn't getting up the gallop — he then had a wind operation and he still wasn't getting up the gallop," revealed Tizzard.
"The last three weeks though he was good — quite good in fact.
"He jumped well there and he looked a class machine again.
"We don't know where it comes from sometimes.
"Viconte Du Noyer bled at Cheltenham but we were in that spell then. Whatever we did in the run up to Cheltenham we couldn't win a race.
"It must have been a low-grade bug — unless I forgot how to train for a month!
"He's dropped down the handicap but he travelled and jumped."
(AM & EM)
