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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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- Review leopardstown 23rd Jan
Review leopardstown 23rd Jan
< Hurricane Fly confirmed his undoubted superiority over old rival Solwhit to land a smooth success in the BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Willie Mullins' charge (4-9 favourite) tracked stable companion Thousand Stars for most of the way and went past on the turn for home, with Solwhit covering the move.
There wasn't much in it at the final flight, but Hurricane Fly had plenty in the locker and when Paul Townend asked him to quicken he went away to score comfortably by three and a half lengths.< Realt Dubh dug deep to edge out Noble Prince in a thrilling finish to the Frank Ward Solicitors Arkle Novice Chase.
Noel Meade's 5-2 favourite seemed to be going the better of the pair as they entered the straight, with the fancied Flat Out having exited the race when unseating two out.
But Noble Prince put in a determined finish and Paul Carberry had to call on Realt Dubh to pull out all the stops for a short-head verdict in the Grade One contest.< Hidden Cyclone seemed to relish the step up to two and a half miles as he ran out a convincing winner of the Synergy Security Solutions Novice Hurdle (Grade Two).
Andrew McNamara sent the John Hanlon-trained 7-4 favourite into the lead in mid-race and made a decisive kick for home on the final turn before scoring by two lengths.< Day Of A Lifetime put his last-place finish in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham well behind him with an eyecatching debut over jumps in the Frank Conroy Memorial Maiden Hurdle.
Townend oozed confidence on Mullins' 100-30 favourite, waiting until after the last before pouncing on Gift Of Dgab to win by two and a half lengths.
Robert Tyner's By The Hour (16-1) looked to be going best when she joined Questions Answered and Deal Done on the final turn in the Ryan's Event Cleaners Handicap Chase and Philip Enright drove her out to win by a length and a half.