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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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- Crown Theatre delivers winning performance
Michael Graham
Crown Theatre delivers winning performance
Andrew Lynch sends Crown Theatre over the last in Limerick
© Photo Healy Racing
Crown Theatre put in a good display of jumping to take the spoils in the two mile one handicap chase for trainer Henry de Bromhead.
Andrew Lynch hunted him round in eighth before the pair started to creep closer at the fifth last. Jumping three out and they were well positioned in fourth on the inner.
On the approach to the home straight, Crown Theatre raced in third with Orpheus Valley and The Conker Club well within his sights two lengths in front.
Crown Theatre picked off the hard-ridden Orpheus Valley on the turn-in and strode purposefully into a narrow lead over The Conker Club jumping the penultimate fence.
The latter came under the whip from Danny Mullins as Crown Theatre moved a couple of lengths clear at the last. Lynch kept him up to his work to score by a length and three parts from The Conker Club (4/1) who came again at him close home. The Mooch at 9/2 got third-place prize money. He was beaten four and three quarter lengths by the winner.
"He jumped super and winged the second last and then got there a bit too soon. He was three lengths up at the last when he was beaten the last day and just idled," Andrew Lynch said.
"He idled again today, but is just a six-year-old and will be even better in a better race. There's plenty of improvement in him."
Lynch got married last Friday to Riona Teggart, travelling head groom to Noel Meade.
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes