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Punchestown 2024
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- Weld and Smullen dominate at Gowran Park
Michael Graham
Weld and Smullen dominate at Gowran Park
Good Tradition, centre, comes from last to first in Gowran Park
© Photo Healy Racing
The Dermot Weld/Pat Smullen bandwagon rolled into Gowran Park and snaffled plenty more euro as Good Tradition brought up a treble for the trainer and a four-timer for the jockey.
Good Tradition in this extended mile and one maiden caught the eye of punters before racing as he was the subject of support from 9/2 to 3/1 and was returned the 11/4 joint favourite.
His only other appearance came 200 days ago when fifth at Navan in a juvenile maiden over a mile in October.
The son of Pivotal missed the break today and was hunted along at the rear by Smullen. He was off the bridle with more than five furlongs to race but started to motor along at the three pole. His head was in front inside the final furlong and he had two and a quarter lengths in hand over Falkirk (11/4jf). The well-backed Fog of War (7/1 to 4/1) ran third, beaten three and a quarter lengths.
Pat Smullen said: “He’s a big raw horse. He missed the kick and I was concerned as he never raced throughout and was always at the back of the bridle.
“He got there well and idled when he hit the front. He’s a big baby and he’ll learn a lot from that. He wouldn’t want to be doing that in better company.”
Dermot Weld added: “He is a lovely horse in the making and he will enjoy going a mile and a half."
Additional reporting by Donal Murphy