Punchestown Saturday review | Nation's pride for Willie Mullins

De La Nation worth her Place

Willie Mullins and Danny Mullins teamed up with Place De La Nation (10/1) as the five-year-old upset the big two in the market in the Grade 1 SBK Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

Gordon Elliott's Cheltenham Festival winner Wodhooh was sent off the 8/11 favourite with the horse she beat in the Mares' Hurdle, Jade De Grugy, the 6/4 second favourite and the pair battled for the lead for much of the race.

Wodhooh looked to have won the battle between the pair in the home straight, but Jade De Grugy found a second wind while her stablemate Place De La Nation got into contention on the outside jumping the last.

As Wodhooh weakened out of it late on it was soon between the Mullins pair, but Place De La Nation had the better finishing effort up her sleeve and she lengthened clear for a one-and-half length victory at the line.

Danny Mullins said: "She looked to have a good chance, ran well at Cheltenham, her form was good.

"We weren't sure who was going to make it, my filly was a little bit cold early on, Wodhooh's one of the best mares around, Jade de Grugy, they are serious mares.

"My filly was all potential and luckily it all came together for me."

Saratoga is Champion for Roche

Saratoga ran out an impressive winner of the Grade 1 Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle under Mark Walsh in the JP McManus silks.

The Fred Winter winner at the Cheltenham Festival was sent off 9/2 as Triumph Hurdle winner Apolon De Charnie was quite weak in the market at 3/1, with Henry De Bromhead's Matin Midi Et Soir sent off the 5/2 favourite.

However, both Matin Midi Et Soir and Apolon De Charnie struggled to get into contention and it was left to Padraig Roche's Saratoga to run out a dominant victor in good style.

He was three-and-three quarter lengths ahead of Bartholomew at the line with Willie Mullins training the third, fourth and fifth home; Macho Man, Charme De Faust and Majolique.

Walsh said: "You don't mind riding Grade 1 winners for your best friends so that was brilliant.

"He jumped well, he missed the first down the back but jumped brilliant from there on.

"He's a good horse.

"He's a brilliant trainer [Padraig Roche], I've known him since I was 15. If he gets the horse he does the job as he proved there."

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