Pure Bliss was the third English trained winner of the week at Punchestown today as the Harry Fry trained mare landed the Colm Quinn BMW Group (Mares) Handicap Hurdle under jockey Mark Walsh.

Successful on Irish point-to-point debut for Denis Murphy in April 2019, Pure Bliss today won her third, of four, career hurdle when holding faster-finishing Merry Poppins by half a length.

Fry, who won the festival's Stayers Hurdle with 11 year old Unowhatimeanharry in 2019, wasn't present at the behind-closed-doors meeting and jockey Walsh later stated “she was good. Ciara (Fry's wife) said to me to pop her out handy and give her a bit of light because she's only a novice, that's only her fourth run over hurdles.

“She jumped and travelled great. She took me there to the second last and Ciara said she stays so I sent her on. She was just idling, she was in front long enough.

“She's a lovely mare, she won a point-to-point and was bought here a few years ago. She'll be a mare for fences next year I'd say.”

Champion UK Trainer Paul Nicholls had supplied the other two foreign based winners this week, with Clan Des Obeaux and Bob And Co.

Quotes from Gary Carson