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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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Review leopardstown 29th May
< Fame And Glory landed the Seamus & Rosemary McGrath Memorial Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown, but it was no walk in the park for the 30-100 favourite.
Already a winner at Navan this season, Aidan O'Brien's charge looked to have the race under control as he coasted on to the heels of the leaders coming down the straight.
But Jamie Spencer didn't get the response he expected when he asked for an effort and he had to get busy to to hold outsider Vivacious Vivienne by half a length, with the returning Rite Of Passage a fine third.
O'Brien doubled up when Apache (4-7 favourite), ridden by his son Joseph, sauntered to the front over a furlong out in the Leopardstown Family Fun Day Maiden and won by five and a half lengths.< Bewitched developed into a high-class sprinter last term and she picked up where she had left off with a superb victory in the Ballycorus Stakes.
Johnny Murtagh anchored the Charles O'Brien-trained filly towards the rear in the Group Three contest and she had to be dropped back to find room when it was time to make her challenge.< Zoffany and Glor Na Mara hit the front in the final furlong, but Bewitched (6-1) mowed them down on the outside and won cosily by a length and a quarter.< Teolane stepped up from her Naas debut fourth to complete a quick double for Jim Bolger in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden, winning in eyecatching style.
Kevin Manning soon had her in front and the juvenile (6-4) ran on strongly down the straight to put five and a half lengths between herself and the chasers.
Bolger had already taken the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap with Manaaqeb (8-1), who led for most of the way under Ronan Whelan and never looked like being caught in winning by three and a half lengths.
Michael Hourigan's six-year-old False Economy (9-1) stayed on stoutly for Seamie Heffernan to grab the Abbey Healthcare Handicap late on by three-quarters of a length.