FRESH from saddling his first Grade 1 winner with Feronily on day one of the meeting, Emmet Mullins engineered another Punchestown masterstroke with £8,000 bargain buy Its On The Line, who rallied gamely to win the Irish Daily Star Champion Hunters Chase.

A half-brother to Welsh National winner Monbeg Dude, the improving six-year-old showed deep reserves of stamina on his third festival appearance of the spring, breaking the heart of Vaucelet under a sublime ride from Derek O’Connor.

Its On The Line outran his odds of 28/1 when runner-up in the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase at Cheltenham before falling at Becher’s in the Randox Foxhunters’ Chase at Aintree.

After looking potentially vulnerable for a couple of strides on the run-in, the margin of victory ended up being a length for the Cistercian College Roscrea Racing Syndicate-owned stayer.

Mullins said: “He doesn’t make life easy, but there is an engine in there somewhere. Derek was great. He said there was a loose horse at the third last and, once that passed him, he came back on the bridle. He just needs a bit of a lead, but he’s a relentless stayer too. It’s just trying to get it all to come together and it did today.

“It’s brilliant for the college, Cistercian College, where I went to school and had great memories. It’s special to be able to share that today with them.”

Mullins was non-committal as to whether the winner would definitely stick to hunter chases next season.

“He’s only six and could rack up a few in this field but we’ll see - time will tell,” said the Grand National-winning trainer. “There is loads of ability there and it’s just a matter of getting it out of him.”

Monbeg makes amends

There was spring festival compensation for Sean and Donnchadh Doyle’s Monbeg Park in the SalesSense International Novice Hurdle as the talented six-year-old, ridden by J.J. Slevin, led home a 1-2-3 for leading sire Walk In The Park.

The 15/8 winner had been demoted from first in the Grade A Rybo Handicap Hurdle (worth €100,000) after causing interference in the closing stages to second-past-the-post Risk Belle, but there was no drama this time as he asserted to beat 16/1 shot Spillane’s Tower by two and a half lengths.

Winning owner Donnchadh Doyle said: “He got a lovely ride, he travelled into it lovely and was very impressive. Hopefully we’ll have a nice horse to go over fences next year.

“He had a little problem and we couldn’t sell him, but we’re getting a right run out of him and hopefully next season we’ll get another bit of fun. He’s very big and he’ll have to come on for jumping a fence.”

Byrnes’ syndicate all smiles

Charles Byrnes had the last laugh on the penultimate day of the Punchestown Festival when Walk Away Harry finished with a flourish to claim the Avison Young Bumper under a fine ride from Ray Barron.

The 11/1 shot, owned by the enthusiastic Area Fiftyone Syndicate, came from an unpromising position to run down the useful Irish Panther by half a length in the closing stages.

The five-year-old by Walk In The Park had shown potential on his bumper bow at Clonmel earlier in the month when dead-heating for second behind the promising Shannon Royale.

Byrnes said: “He had a great run the last day at Clonmel, but we were a bit concerned the ground today wouldn’t be soft enough for him. He was given a brilliant ride.

“We were a bit worried about the form of the horses in it, it looked to be a good bumper. I think he’ll be a better horse in heavy ground. He’ll be a nice type for novice hurdling next season over two and a half miles on soft ground.”