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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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Review laytown 4th Sep
Sister Slew and Joseph O'Brien
© Photo Healy Racing
Joseph O'Brien turned up for one ride on the beach at Laytown and punters who took the hint were rewarded with a commanding victory for the champion jockey in the Marquees Nationwide Claiming Race.
O'Brien, whose only previous visit to the course in 2010 brought no dividend, teamed up with trainer Gordon Elliott for Sister Slew and admitted beforehand it was an ambition to ride a winner on the unique sand track.
He was in no mood to hang about once the 9-4 favourite hit the front two furlongs out and he drove her clear to score by three lengths from Like Magic to the cheers of the crowd.
Richard Ford's decision to crash the party from his Lancashire yard paid dividends when Seamster made just about all the running to take the Tote Mobile Betting Handicap.
A winner four times on the Lingfield all-weather track this year, the 3-1 favourite was bounced out quickly by Colin Keane and put in a decisive burst at the quarter-mile pole to put the race to bed before holding Doonard Prince by a length and three-quarters.
Ford's other runner My Son Max wasn't involved at the business end in the Barry Matthews Appreciation Society (QR) Handicap, in which Pat Shanahan's always prominent Prince Jock (12-1), the mount of Roger Quinlan, held off Korbous by a neck.
Pat Martin's 10-3 shot Our Max demolished the opposition in the Gilna's Cottage Inn Maiden, challenging down the outside and quickening away from the favourite Al Fahidi in the final furlong to win by three and a half lengths under Shane Foley.
The trainer doubled up in the Hibernia Steel (QR) Race finale when Declan Lavery just got Togoville (7-1) home in front by half a length in an exciting finish with Smoker
Chris Geoghegan snapped up an opportunity on Mr Bounty (6-1) in the O'Neills Sports Handicap, challenging for the lead a quarter of a mile out on the Michael O'Callaghan-trained four-year-old and forging clear to score by a length and a quarter.