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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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Review fairyhouse 16th Jan
Willie Mullins is plotting a route towards the Cheltenham Festival with Golden Silver following his cool success at Fairyhouse on Sunday.
The two-time Grade One winner is likely to flex his muscles in the Ryanair Chase at Prestbury Park, before which he will run at Punchestown at the end of the month.
Golden Silver will head for the Tied Cottage Chase a warm order given the style by which he won the Grade Two Tote Pick Six Normans Grove Chase - although his triumph was admittedly not without incident.
The casual observer may have felt Rubi Light had been given too much rope at the head of affairs, with Mullins' 2-11 favourite quite a distance away in second.
But wise jockey Paul Townend knew exactly what he was doing, and breezed into a narrow advantage after the last which stretched to five and a half lengths at the line.
Mullins declared: "He'll run next in the Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown in a few weeks' time where he'll be joined by J'y Vole and Scotsirish, too.
"He'll be entered in the Ryanair Chase and Champion Chase at Cheltenham but is more likely to run in the Ryanair as he is about 10lb short of the standard for the Champion Chase."< Our Girl Salley is also destined for Cheltenham after stretching her unbeaten run over timber to five in the Listed Tote Pick Six Mares' Novice Hurdle.
However, the 2-5 hot-pot was made to work hard by Belle Brook (20-1), who went down fighting by three-quarters of a length.
Trainer Prunella Dobbs said: "We'll move forward now and will aim her at another mares' hurdle here in mid-February, while she will be entered in the novice hurdles and the Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival."
A favourable mentions must also go to Drive On Jim (4-1), who completed a hat-trick in the www.thetote.com Handicap Hurdle under Denis Hogan, who also trains the eight-year-old.< Sam Adams ridden by Davy Russell, also impressed in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase, while punters were on the receiving end of a 33-1 shocker when 4-7 shot Sous Les Cieux was turned over