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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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- Fox stays Cool on Shabra
Alan Magee
Fox stays Cool on Shabra
One Cool Shabra recorded his third juvenile hurdle win when again adopting familiar forcing tactics to just hold off chief market-rival Bat Masterson in the Christmas Championship at Gowran 3YO Hurdle.
The 11/8 favourite made all under Ger Fox and, despite jumping left at a number of hurdles, held off the well-backed 7/4 (from 5/2) chance Bat Masterson by a head.
The easy-to-back Tony Martin-trained newcomer Edeymi (10/1) appeared to be travelling best early in the straight but could find no extra from the last to finish another two and a half lengths adrift in third.
Winning trainer Oliver Brady was full of praise for the winning rider saying, “He's a good jock and has a great ability to keep calm. Thankfully he just hung on.”
The Willie Mullins-trained Darroun was a notable absentee here due to the change in ground to soft to heavy following 11mm of rain overnight.