Walk To Freedom and Robbie Power lead home Marchese Marconi© Photo Healy Racing
After the 33/1 success of Shamiran in the opener at Punchestown, Walk To Freedom popped up at odds of 50/1 in race two, the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle.
Robbie Power likely has a love hate relationship with the quirky son of Arcadio, but Jessica Harrington's charge was on his best behaviour on this occasion.
There might have been only one of the other twelve contenders, that went off a longer price than Walk To Freedom, but it didn't look like that when Power arrived from the back of the field, on the five-year-old turning-in.
Favourite backers would have been well entitled to think that they were in clover at that stage, as Identity Thief led going well under Bryan Cooper.
He emptied quickly from before the last though (reportedly scoped dirty post race), and Walk To Freedom kept on strongly on the run-in to account for Marchese Marconi and the aforementioned 'jolly,' by six and a half lengths, and two and a quarter lengths.
"He's a very funny horse, and you just have to look at his record. The last time he fell at the first and buried Robbie. He's got loose in the parade ring before, and he ran out at Fairyhouse," reflected Mrs Harrington.
"He's very quirky and could do anything. Today he got it all together, and when he does he has quite a good engine. He's a chaser in the making.
"The winning syndicate is a group of owners of mine, that I rang up to see if they would like to get involved again. They include Brian Kearney (of Moscow Flyer fame)."
On Jezki meanwhile she said: "At the moment he runs (tomorrow in the three miler). We'll just have to see how much rain falls. There is another 24 hours before the race and we'll have to see what happens.
"He got two and a half well at Aintree, and I don't see any reason why he'll not get three miles here.
"Jetson likes it around here, and don't forget about Ttebbob (also runners in Thursday's Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle). He's working well at the moment."
Henry de Bromhead, trainer of Identity Thief, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his charge scoped abnormally post race
The Turf Club Veterinary Officer examined Sadler's Risk trained by Henry de Bromhead, at the request of the Stewards and reported the animal to be post race normal.
(AM & EM)
