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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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- Shalaman takes big scalp in Dundalk finale
Shalaman takes big scalp in Dundalk finale
Shalaman and Chris Hayes get the better of Parish Hall and Kevin Manning
© Photo Healy Racing
We had a second odds-on favourite of the night turned over at Dundalk, when 4/6 shot, Parish Hall went under to 10/1 chance, Shalaman in the concluding www.valuecentre.ie Race.
Chris Hayes' mount, Shalaman, travelled through from the rear, going well down the outer in the straight, to lead a furlong out.
Asked to go and win his race inside the final furlong, Matthew Smith's Oratorio gelding held on by a head from Parish Hall, with the Dermot Weld front-runner Vedelago ending up two and a quarter lengths back in third.
Vedelago's stable companion Behesht faded to finish last.
"It was the owners plan to come here for a while," said Smith.
"Chris said the last night that he'd be a much better horse in better company but I'd say he thought we were mad coming here tonight. He was 19lb wrong with the favourite.
"Since his last run he's turned inside out and I've never seen him like it. Chris said he got to the front a bit too soon again tonight.
"We said we'd take our chance as we had nothing to lose. The plan had been to go hurdling. He wants good ground and jumps brilliantly. Hopefully he'll go jumping in the summer.
"We'll have to go to Lingfield now and take our chance. Hopefully he'll turn up in the same sort of form." (GC & EM)