RACING:IT FELT more endurance test than festival – and only the charitable could describe it as being visually edifying – but Punchestown somehow defied desperate weather conditions yesterday and raced.
It required the cancellation of both steeplechase races, including the €140,000 Tote Gold Cup, which has been transferred to Saturday, a start delayed by over an hour, and the dour determination of all concerned but despite everything day two of the 2012 festival was run off.
In itself that almost felt as much of a victory as any of the four wins Willie Mullins notched up on a re-jigged five-race card that included a Grade One double for the champion trainer, with Champagne Fever and Marasonnien.
Cheltenham might have been forced to cancel one of its festival days in 2008 due to weather problems but Irish racing’s reputation for only pulling the plug when all but underwater has been sealed watertight after yesterday’s events.
For much of the day racing seemed a real long-shot, with Ruby Walsh accompanying officials on an early afternoon inspection that ruled out the chase track but kept open the hurdles and bumper courses. At that stage gusting 90kph winds were the main problem, with health and safety concerns forcing racegoers to wait outside until well into the afternoon as fears persisted about advertising signs and marquee equipment blowing loose.
When racing eventually started, racegoers were escorted to the stands and hospitality areas by staff to watch runners splashing their way round. But senior jockeys backed up the decision to go ahead.
“It’s actually not heavy ground. It’s slop, and it’s consistent, so it is safe,” Barry Geraghty said after riding in the conditions hurdle won by Mullins’s Loch Ard. “It might be ugly but it is raceable. They’re getting through it.”
Some got through it better than others, and none quicker than the 12 to 1 Marasonnien, who led home a remarkable one-two-three for Willie Mullins and American owner Rich Ricci in the Irish Daily Mirror War Of Attrition Novice Hurdle.
Walsh got it wrong in opting for the favourite Sous Les Cieux, who had to settle for a back view of Marasonnien and Vesper Bell in the three-mile Grade One.
“I don’t know if an owner has ever had a result like that in a Grade One before,” said Mullins. “I got the winner from the same trainer I got Mikael D’Haguenet. He’s not the prettiest horse but he loved the ground. He and Vesper stay all day. But Ruby felt Sous Les Cieux didn’t stay.”
He added: “It doesn’t look great out there but it is loose ground and the jockeys say it’s alright. They are galloping through it.”
Champagne Fever also carries the Ricci colours and exhibited remarkable resilience to officially become just the second horse to complete the Cheltenham-Punchestown Champion Bumper double.
Patrick Mullins, rider of the previous double winner Cousin Vinny in 2008, made all on Champagne Fever and repelled the English runner Melodic Rendevous by over seven lengths.
It looked desperately hard work but the winning jockey reported: “He was actually idling in front and looking at the photographers. I never thought I’d ride another one to do the double, so he’s a very special horse to me. And he’s going to make a fantastic chaser.”
Mullins Snr is debating whether or not to go straight over fences with Champagne Fever, a la Florida Pearl, and bookmakers reacted by making the grey a 16 to 1 shot for next year’s RSA Chase.
The father and son team also struck in the other bumper, with Flash Of Genius, who looked a very smart sort when winning easily, while Loch Ard could be on his way to Auteuil during the summer after he routed Un Beau Matin in the conditions hurdle.
Shamiran was a 12 to 1 winner of the Opportunity Hurdle for jockey Ian McCarthy.
Considering the weather conditions, a hardy day two festival crowd of 11,517 wasn't disappointing even though it was well down from last year's 17,261.
Tote betting dropped from €1,064,839 to €418,974, while bookie turnover dropped from almost €1.8 million in 2011 to €479,516.
8am Inspection: Sunday switch planned
SHOULD PUNCHESTOWN fail this morning's 8am inspection, today's card is set to be moved to Sunday as Irish National Hunt racing's flagship festival continues to fight the elements, writes Brian O'Connor.
"We are being told to expect about three hours more rain overnight so we will look at things again in the morning," the Punchestown spokesperson Shona Dreaper said yesterday. "At this stage we are taking things one crisis at a time. But if we can't race tomorrow, then we will move to Sunday."
A flat race card at Navan is already scheduled for Sunday, featuring the Listed Salsabil Stakes. It was confirmed last evening that Navan will race, whatever happens with Punchestown.
