John Durkan Memorial

Punchestown Chase (Grade 1)

JUST as he had done for the previous four seasons, Min made a winning return to action to record back-to-back victories in this race with a display that saw Willie Mullins’ charge show that he has the heart to go with his undoubted class.

The 171-rated eight-year-old was returned the 8/11 favourite under Paul Townend but this success wasn’t achieved without a scare or two.

Indeed Min made several errors over the course of his round and he looked beaten at one point in the straight but, as good horses tend to do, he found a way to succeed.

After setting off in front, Min was kept company by Shattered Love and his jumping lacked fluency at times. Indeed he made a couple of notable errors but the Susannah Ricci-owned eight-year-old was still in front turning for home.

At this point, the 25/1 outsider Hardline loomed up as a huge threat and the game looked to be up for the favourite when the former moved to the front between the last two fences.

A rallying Min dug in splendidly and produced perhaps his best jump of the race at the last which enabled him to get back in front and carry the day by two and a quarter lengths.

A length back in third was Presenting Percy who ran a huge race on his first start since last season’s Gold Cup. As comebacks go, this was a particularly heartening one from Pat Kelly’s charge and his Gold Cup aspirations still burn brightly. J.J. Slevin rode Presenting Percy after an unwell Davy Russell gave up his remaining rides of the day following the second race.

”Unbelievable performance”

“I thought that was an unbelievable performance, given the mistakes that Min made,” said Mullins. “To make those mistakes against a field like that and come back and still win was very good. I thought that he was beaten at the second last but the jump he produced at the last fence showed how much he had left.

“In terms of his trip I’m not too worried about whether two or two and a half miles is his best distance – I’m just going to concentrate on getting him to jump better. I would imagine he could follow a similar path to last season,” added Mullins.

The Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles could be next for the runner-up although Gordon Elliott did not rule out dropping him back to two miles at Leopardstown over Christmas. The Savills Chase at Leopardstown looks a likely target for Presenting Percy and that race could also see Kemboy make his return to action. The latter worked after racing and Mullins expressed himself happy with the horse’s efforts and those of Chacun Pour Soi, Cadmium and Al Boum Photo.

SHE had to work a good deal harder than odds of 2/5 suggested but Minella Melody made it two wins from as many start over hurdles in the first running of the Listed Voler La Vedette Mares Novice Hurdle.

Another high-class mare for the alliance of Henry de Bromhead and owner Kenny Alexander, this daughter of Flemensfirth was given quite a test by Mount Ida who had her off the bridle turning for home in this two and a half-mile race.

The last-named produced another bold jump at the final flight but she eventually succumbed to the Robbie Power-ridden Minella Melody who got home by three-quarters of a length, with Ard Abhainn finishing on their heels in third.

The day was to end on a sad note for the winning connections though, as they lost the very promising Sinoria at Cork later in the day.

“I’m delighted she’s won but it was workmanlike. She seemed a bit flat and didn’t seem to carry Robbie as well as I would have hoped,” reflected de Bromhead.

“I’d say that we will look at the two and a quarter miles mares’ Grade 3 at Fairyhouse in January, which we won with Honeysuckle last season.”

The admirable Anything Will Do (9/4) once again displayed a commendable will to win as he notched up his fourth win from five career starts in the W.H. Scott Lifting Supporting Wicklow GAA Rated Novice Hurdle.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained four-year-old has done nothing but progress since he made a successful racecourse debut at Listowel’s Harvest Festival.

J.J. Slevin made the running on the Annus Mirabilis Syndicate-owned son of Westerner who first beat off the favourite Tiger Voice before pulling out plenty on the run-in to hold Quartz Du Rheu by a length and a half.

“He’s an improving horse, and a hardy one, and we might now look at the Grade 3 four-year-old hurdle at Limerick over Christmas,” declared the trainer.

Treacysenniscorthy is proving to be quite a standard bearer for trainer Robert Widger and he made it three wins in five starts for the trainer in the Carmel Colgan Memorial Blackrock Insurance Supporting Kilmacud Crokes Handicap Hurdle. The 11/4 favourite looked to be in trouble when Burlesque Queen slipped through on his inner to lead turning for home.

However, the latter wasn’t too fluent at the last and Treacysenniscorthy responded to Oakley Brown’s urgings to get back up late on. An opportunity handicap chase on the final day of Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting is next for the winner.

Breaken bad, Dunvegan delights

PAT Fahy could have plenty to look forward to with the talented Dunvegan who got his career over fences off to the perfect start in the Gain Supporting Laois GAA Beginners Chase. The grey lost his way last term after making such a bright start over hurdles but he is clearly back on song.

Breaken stretched most of his rivals to breaking point with a free-wheeling display from the front and he enjoyed a large lead for much of the race.

Dunvegan started to eat into that advantage from four out and was notably closer at the third last where Breaken tipped up. This left the Jack Kennedy-ridden 13/8 favourite to come home 18 lengths ahead of Valdieu.

“Hopefully we’ll have him for the full season. He went all wrong on us last season but we learned a lot from that and we’ll try to take it in stages with him this season and we’ll look for a winners’ race next,” said Fahy, who trains the grey for Clipper Logistics and George Turner.

GORDON Elliott provided further evidence of his enviable array of bumper talent as his Grangeclare Native (6/4) made a winning debut in the Old House Kill (Pro/Am) Flat Race. The winning pointer looked decidedly green for his racecourse debut and seemed held when Jungle Junction moved on entering the final furlong.

He found plenty for Lisa O’Neill to get back up late on and had half a length to spare at the finish. Elliott reported that the Gigginstown-owned son of Shantou might run just once more this season.

Frankly All Talk, who fell two out when holding every chance in a handicap here last month, gained compensation in the extended three-mile handicap chase.

Keith Watson’s charge kept responding to Paddy O’Hanlon’s promptings to overhaul the gallant pace-setter Biddy The Boss (whose jockey Brien Kane picked up a six-day whip ban) after the last.

The 5/1 joint-favourite is owned by the Talk’s Cheap Syndicate and will take in Leopardstown over Christmas while he has March’s Ulster National as his long-term aim.