PUNCHESTOWN FESTIVAL DAY ONE REPORT:SIZING EUROPE did his job, and so did Sir Des Champs, but anyone backing the hat-trick of odds-on Grade One favourites at Punchestown yesterday was left cursing Trifolium who had to give best to a Tony McCoy-inspired ride on Alderwood in the big novice hurdle.
Examples of McCoy’s never-say-die attitude are many but Alderwood’s dramatic triumph in the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle stands up well in any context.
In the process he kicked off a memorable near-59 to 1 double for trainer Tom Mullins who, in addition to Alderwood, also secured a €100,000 prize when Some Article made a winning debut in the Goffs Land Rover Bumper.
Some Article looks a real prospect for the future but Alderwood confirmed his position as Mullins’s current stable star by continuing his progress from Cheltenham’s County Hurdle, through a Grade Two at Fairyhouse, and on to a top-flight triumph yesterday.
It needed all of McCoy’s skill and determination, though, as Mullins admitted he was settling for third on the turn-in as Trifolium swept past Alderwood and even the outsider Simenon went by too.
However, Trifolium started to tie-up on the run to the last and McCoy has never needed to be asked twice when it comes to making the most of even a remote chance.
The perennial British champion jockey powered Alderwood upsides his rival and the partnership had half a length in hand at the line.
“One in a million,” was owner JP McManus’s description of his retained jockey who was prepared to hand much of the credit to the horse.
“He has improved mentally as much as physically for winning these races. Crazy as it sounds he knows he has been winning and he’s got a lot of confidence from winning races. This fellow loves to jump and goes on any ground.
“I always say they’re like people. Some horses want to please you more than others. This horse tries to please you. He has a great will to win,” McCoy said.
Bookmaker reaction was to make Alderwood a 33 to 1 shot for next year’s Champion Hurdle but Mullins indicated a novice chase career is in the offing – “Everyone who rides him says he will make a lovely chaser”.
Fences also look an ultimate destination for the strapping Some Article, a €11,500 purchase who picked up a near €60,000 first prize on his first start.
“I thought he might be babyish, and he is, but his class won it for him,” Mullins said.
“He’s a hell of a horse. He will come on a lot mentally for that, and he has a lot of physical strengthening to do too.”
Only five might have lined up for the Growise Champion Novice Chase but the final fence still provoked plenty of drama, with the ante-post Gold Cup favourite, Sir Des Champs, surviving a horrible mistake and both Mossey Joe and Frisco Depot coming down behind him.
“He was very lucky at the last but otherwise he did what we were hoping he would do,” said Sir Des Champs’ trainer Willie Mullins.
“We didn’t really learn anything today except that he goes three miles, but he was cantering through the race and had plenty in reserve,” he added. “He’s a very relaxed horse which will help him in his future career.”
The first cross-channel winner of the week didn’t take long to come as the Philip Hobbs-trained Snap Tie made a remarkable return from a 921-day lay-off to win the handicap hurdle.
“It’s amazing to come back like that after two and a half years, especially at the age of 10, with topweight and on ground we thought he didn’t like,” said Hobbs who could aim the horse next at Haydock’s Swinton Hurdle.
Ceol Rua, one of the 7 to 1 joint-favourites, was getting into a threatening position when clipping heels and falling on the flat before the turn-in.
A second winner to travel from Britain came in the concluding bumper as the 25 to 1 Grand Jesture had too much for the Jessica Harrington-trained pair of Directors Forum and The Big Easy under jockey Michael Nolan.
“He came here as a travelling companion for my mare in the Champion Bumper tomorrow,” said Newmarket trainer Don Cantillon. “This is the first time he’s ever seen a racecourse. He’s a lovely horse.”
Local trainer Peter Maher is riding in a hunters chase here on Friday but got his eye in when Big Shu held off Boxer Georg by half a length in the opening Ladies Cup over the banks under jockey Benny Walsh.
“I’m coming out of retirement to ride on Friday so I won’t be celebrating too much,” said Maher. “There’s no feeling like winning here and I’ve got Barry Cash to thank for schooling this horse.”
