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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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Review navan 18th Dec
< Oscars Well stepped up on the promise of last month's easy maiden victory over jumps with a performance of total authority in the Grade One Navan Novice Hurdle.
In the absence of likely favourite Hidden Cyclone, Jessie Harrington's five-year-old was always travelling sweetly for Robbie Power as Fully Funded took them along.
The 9-4 shot jumped to the front at the second-last flight and was allowed to coast home to beat Sweet Shock by an impressive eight lengths, picking up Cheltenham Festival quotes in the process.< Alpine Glade looked all over the winner of the Grade Two Philips Electronics Tara Hurdle as she hit the front apparently full of running two out, but she found precious little and finished only third.< Stonemaster edged past her on the run-in, but had no answer when Edward O'Grady's Rigour Back Bob (7-1), who had appeared well held, surged past and finished two and a half lengths clear in the hands of Andrew McNamara.
The Dessie Hughes-trained Mackeys Forge third to big-race winner Oscars Well at Punchestown, was never out of the first two in the 2011 Navan Membership 'The Ideal Christmas Gift' Maiden Hurdle and stayed on strongly to score.< Silverlord looked a big danger when he loomed up, but he lost all momentum with an error two out and Mackeys Forge (7-2) grabbed his chance to win by two and a half lengths under Roger Loughran.
Michael O'Hare's Bale O'Shea was sent off the 11-4 favourite for the Christmas Cracker Handicap Hurdle and won as he liked, leading approaching two out and sauntering clear to score by 11 lengths for Andrew Lynch.
The Pat Martin-trained Lucky Spring (5-1) found plenty for pressure from Andrew Thornton between the final two flights and caught the plucky Lisrenny Lady on the run-in to land the Christmas Greetings Handicap Hurdle by a length and a quarter.< True Character (3-1) led a quarter of a mile out and went clear to take the Athlumney INH Flat Race, completing a double for the Harrington yard.