Double for Harry Swan at the Punchestown Festival
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2023/2024 National Hunt season winners presentation following the conclusion of the Punchestown Racing Festival, from left; John Osborne (Director of Equine Welfare & Bloodstock, HRI), Willie Mullins (Champion Trainer), Patrick Mullins (Champion Amateur), Danny Gilligan (Champion Conditional Jockey), Jody Townend (Champion Lady Amateur), Martin Leydon T.D, JP McManus (Champion Owner). Missing is Champion Jockey Jack Kennedy PHOTO: INPHO/Tom Mahe ©INPHO/Tom MaherImage 2 of 3
Sermandzarak and Harry Swan winning the Goffs Defender Bumper at the Punchestown Festiva. Photo: Patrick McCann/Racing Post Patrick McCannImage 3 of 3
Lets Go Champ, ridden by Rachael Blackmore, jumping the last fence to win The HSS Hire Handicap Steeplechase from Authorized Art ridden by Danny Mullins at the Punchestown Festival. Photo :carolinenorris.ie CAROLINE NORRISA runner-up on the opening day of the flat season at the Curragh, the Fozzy Stack-trained Marty The Party went a place better to win the eight-furlong handicap at Naas on Monday week last.
Joey Sheridan had an easy time of it at the finish on the favourite which scored a cosy one and a half-length success over the Ger Lyons-trained Spanish Flame. The €200,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Gowran Classic at Gowran Park in early June is on the agenda for the Connolly Racing syndicate-owned winner.
Harry Swan was the first of the Tipperary contingent to land a winner at the Punchestown festival as he took the €100,000 Goffs Defender Bumper on the Gordon Elliott-trained Sermandzarak on day 1.
In the Robcour colours, the four-year-old led before the straight and battled well to see off Stuart Crawford’s Yeshil by a length and a quarter.
Both Rachael Blackmore and Darragh O'Keeffe rode a winner as Henry de Bromhead landed a double on the second day of the Punchestown festival on Wednesday.
O’Keeffe landed the two-mile three-furlong conditions’ hurdle on Gorgeous Tom which battled well to get the better of Willie Mullins’ even-money favourite Mistergif by a length.
Rachael Blackmore had a slightly easier time of it on favourite Lets Go Champ which won the Grade 3 two and a half-mile handicap chase in convincing fashion. Leading over the final fence, the Roger Brookhouse-owned nine-year-old raced clear to beat the Tom Gibney-trained Must Be Obeyed by two and a half lengths with another Mullins runner, Authorized Art, a length further back in third place.
Harry Swan rode his second winner of the week at Punchestown as Wingmen landed the bumper to complete a treble for Gordon Elliott before a crowd of 18,289 on Thursday. An 18/1 chance, he made all the running in the colours of Bective Stud to beat Harry Derham’s English raider Queensbury Boy by a length and three-parts.
Elliott had earlier landed his first Grade 1 success of the week as his Cheltenham Festival hero Teahupoo followed up in the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle under Jack Kennedy. The trainer also won the Listed three-mile handicap hurdle with Maxxum, the Patrick Rabbitte-owned and bred seven-year-old. Another valuable handicap success for conditional jockey Carl Millar, the 28/1 chance led as the field raced in the back straight for the final time and he made the best of his way home to win by two and three-parts of a length from the Jessica Harrington-trained Ashdale Bob.
Upcoming Meetings
Gowran Park – Wednesday, May 8 (First Race 4.45pm)
Gowran Park – Thursday, May 9 (First Race 1.05pm)
Tipperary – Thursday, May 9 (First Race 5.10pm)
Cork – Friday, May 10 (First Race 4.05pm)
Downpatrick – Friday, May 10 (First Race 5.05pm)
Naas – Saturday, May 11 (First Race 1.25pm)
Cork – Saturday, May 11 (First Race 2.15pm)
Killarney – Sunday, May 12 (First Race 1.00pm)
Leopardstown – Sunday, May 12 (First Race 1.15pm)