Racing – Punchestown Festival:The Willie Mullins-trained Golden Silver defied worries about the quicker ground to run out an impressive winner of the Boylesports.com Champion Chase, the feature race on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival.
Merely an also-ran in the Queen Mother at Cheltenham, he had since put up a fine weight-carrying performance to win a handicap under a heavy burden in the mud at Fairyhouse.
Ridden by his usual partner Paul Townend, he was always going well in behind the pace-setting Sizing Europe and stablemate Scotsirish.
Arkle winner Sizing Europe still held an advantage at the second-last but not for the first time got in a bit tight and relinquished his advantage.
Forpadydeplasterer hit the front momentarily but Golden Silver (12-1) went past with ease to win by two and a half lengths leaving Tom Cooper's stable star second again with Sizing Europe third and Kalahari King fourth.
There was drama at the start when Paul Nicholls' Twist Magic refused to jump off under Tony McCoy.
Mullins said: "I was worried about the ground but we changed our tactics today and it seems to have worked.
"He's a horse with a lot of ability but he doesn't show us much at home, he saves it for the track. We are just getting the hang of him now I think."
Barry Geraghty said of the runner-up: "He struggled through the race a little bit, the ground is on the dead side, it's well watered and rightly so.
"I'd say it was as much to do with the ground as that he had to go to Aintree rather than come straight here because the ground could have been soft.
"He ran a cracker, he's a genuine horse, but on the day the ground just beat him.
"I said to the lads when I came in, I wouldn't question his attitude one bit, he's as game as a lion but he just didn't have it today."
Henry de Bromhead said of Sizing Europe: "Even during the race I was gutted as I could see there was no pace which is amazing for a two-mile championship race.
"We had to do all the donkey work and it just didn't happen for him today.
"We've had an amazing season and we'll have a sit down and plan what to do next year."
Townend added of the winner: "He has huge ability and he keeps a little bit for himself but on his day he is very good.
"I got into a nice rhythm today and let him relax, I probably forced him a bit too much at Cheltenham and never got happy but he jumped super today.
"He is a lovely horse to ride and he jumped super. He came there going well and stuck at it.
"With Ruby (Walsh) being out injured I am very grateful for the opportunities that Willie has given me."
Mullins added: "He has just kept improving and I couldn't believe how well Paul was going.
"We thought that the ground would be too good for him and that he only had class on soft, but that obviously isn't the case."
In the opening race Nina Carberry and Katie Walsh fought out a stirring finish to the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham and the pair repeated the dose at Punchestown as the former landed the Kildare Hunt Club Fr Sean Breen Memorial Chase aboard Zest For Life.
Walsh got the better of her rival and close friend in the Cotswolds, but Carberry exacted her revenge as Zest For Life edged out Wedger Pardy.
The pair were in the front rank throughout, but Wedger Pardy found the 10lb weight concession beyond him and last year's winner lost out to the Enda Bolger-trained 9-2 chance.
Bolger said: "We set out to make this horse a cross-country horse but every time we brought him here he would get loose or do something silly. That was until Miss Carberry came to the fore.
"He loved the ground and he may turn out again on Saturday in the Irish Field Chase."
Blackstairmountain showed his performance at Cheltenham to be all wrong with an impressive display in the day's second race, the Grade One Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle.
Willie Mullins' five-year-old was quietly fancied for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, but trailed home in 10th place, and he went on to finish second at Fairyhouse in desperate ground over Easter.
The 5-1 shot travelled sweetly throughout for Paul Townend this time and swept past stablemate Flat Out turning into the straight to score by two and a half lengths.
Aintree winner General Miller was in trouble some way out and could only plug on, while the well-backed Grey Soldier got rid of Davy Russell in the back straight.
Mullins said: "He loves this ground. He had a really hard race at Fairyhouse and probably learned an awful lot. I was disappointed with him at Cheltenham, but I think the ground has made a huge difference to him.
"Even though he had a hard race (I decided to run him). He didn't particularly work well during the week, but I thought I'd take a chance as there is no point having them well next week.
"Flat Out ran a fantastic race too. It's a great start."
Punchestown Results
3.40 KILDARE HUNT CLUB FR SEAN BREEN MEMORIAL CHASE
1 Zest For Life 9-2
2 Wedger Pardy 4-1
3 Pennybar 16-1
4.20 EVENING HERALD CHAMPION NOVICE HURDLE (GRADE 1)
1 Blackstairmountain 5-1
2 Flat Out 6-1
3 Sweeps Hill 8-1
4.55 '3' HANDICAP HURDLE (0-140) (GRADE C)
1 Jigalo 12-1
2 Alpine Eagle 7-1F
3 Eagle's Pass 25-1
4 Total Excitement 9-1
5.30 GOFFS LAND ROVER BUMPER
1 Divine Rhapsody 33-1
2 Double Double 6-1
3 Earls Quarter 9-1
6.05 BOYLESPORTS.COM CHAMPION CHASE (GRADE 1)
1 Golden Silver 12-1
2 Forpadydeplasterer 7-2
3 Sizing Europe 5-2F
6.40 GROWISE CHAMPION NOVICE CHASE (GRADE 1)
1 Kempes 9-1
2 China Rock 5-1
3 The Midnight Club 7-2
7.15 EQUITREK FINLAY FORD (PRO/AM) FLAT RACE
1 Spanish Treasure 16-1
2 Valleymount 20-1
3 Hired Hand 7-1