Walsh off the mark at Punchestown On his first handicap start, the novice, Twinlight put up a great performance under eleven stone ten in the Bibby Financial Services Handicap Chase at Punchestown. Giving Ruby Walsh his first winner of the week, the previous course and distance scorer, had an exciting 'buckle' with the Davy Russell-ridden Far Away So Close from two out. Of course Russell had got the better of Walsh in the first when Rye Martini defeated Marito. It looked like Russell again might get the upper hand here but Twinlight threw a marvellous leap at the last and stayed on gamely up the run-in to prevail by a length and a quarter. Barneys Honour attracted his fair share of market support as the 100/30 favourite and he stayed on well from before the last to be a neck behind in third at the line. Willie Mullins trains Twinlight and he said: "We had been considering the two mile Grade 1 race but we felt that this would suit him better. "It's possible that we could bring him to France if we could find something for him there. "The other option is that he probably has a hurdle mark that we can exploit. "Two miles is his optimum trip, on soft ground. "We used to think over hurdles that he wasn't the toughest in the world. Over fences though he's been a revelation." Meanwhile Walsh remarked: "The ground is very testing but he travelled well and jumped well and it was a good performance for a novice under top-weight." (AM & EM)
