Punchestown Festival review: Benie Des Dieux wins for Willie Mullins
A round-up of the action from the final day of the Punchestown Festival as Benie Des Dieux confirmed the promise she showed at Cheltenham.
Benie Des Dieux confirmed her superiority over Apple's Jade in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Annie Power Mares Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.
Willie Mullins' seven-year-old had done most of her racing over fences in Ireland before the Cheltenham Festival, when it was largely considered that Apple's Jade was below her best.
Gordon Elliott's Apple's Jade was sent off the 5/6 favourite to get her revenge and made an early bid for home under Jack Kennedy.
But she had no answer to the 3/1 second-favourite, who went sweeping by under Paul Townend to show there was no fluke about the Cheltenham result.
Augusta Kate, a stablemate of the winner, came from nearly last down the back straight to pass Apple's Jade after the last.
Benie Des Dieux wins the @IrishEBF_ Annie Power Mares Champion Hurdle! pic.twitter.com/6Q5A4EGj1C
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 28, 2018
Townend said: "Robbie (Power) set a good gallop (on Forge Meadow) and Jack took it off him (on Apple's Jade). He kept it up but Benie Des Dieux came alive for me then, over the third last and the second last and she stays well as well, so she's a very good mare.
"It's a long time since I sat on her over fences (December 2016), but she's proven that Cheltenham was no fluke now. She is very versatile, she jumps a fence so well, who knows (whether she'll go back chasing) but wherever she goes, she'll be a force to be reckoned with."
Mullins said: "She's as good as I thought she was. My aim all year was to win the Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham and hopefully come back here and she has done both things properly. She's a really good mare.
"At home, I thought after her first win she had the ability of Douvan, I wondered was she a female version of Douvan. I want to see what there is over fences for her, are there races for her over fences that I want to go for? I imagine that's her finished for the season. We could be tempted by France just as I said that - probably not."
Mullins and owner Rich Ricci ended the Punchestown Festival with a flourish as Saldier charged home in the AES Champion Four Year Old Hurdle.
After a disappointing start to the week for Ricci's pink and green silks he has seen Faugheen bounce back to his best to win the Stayers Hurdle and 40 minutes before Saldier he looked on as Benie Des Dieux won the Mares Champion Hurdle.
Having cut no ice in the Triumph Hurdle, which was dominated by Farclas and Mr Adjudicator, Saldier was also beaten at Fairyhouse just 11 days ago.
He looked a different proposition on this occasion as Robbie Power bided his time behind the pace-setting Stormy Ireland before storming clear to win by three lengths at 10/1. Mr Adjudicator was second again with Saglawy and Msassa making it a 1-2-3-4 for Mullins.
Power said: "The lads thought a lot of him and it's just his jumping has been the problem. Today he jumped much better probably because of the better ground. He's got a good turn of foot as well."
Mullins said: "We thought an awful lot of him and were really disappointed with how he jumped at Cheltenham. Robbie sorted that out today. He brushed up on his jumping and Robbie said he jumped fantastically.
"I think all these could go to France, we haven't been hard on our four-year-olds this year. They have had a really easy time of it and it has paid off. He will stay hurdling next year."
He added: "Punchestown is a lucky place for me!"
Heron Heights bounced back to form to run out victorious in the Palmerstown House Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase (click on race title for free video replay).
Third in the race last year, Henry de Bromhead's nine-year-old had not shown his best form of late and had only run once since the Galway Festival.
Partnered by Robbie Power for the first time, Heron Heights (16/1) could be spotted travelling noticeably well and cruised past Rogue Angel and Kylecrue to win by seven lengths.
Power said: "It's been a fantastic week. Henry was hopeful - he was just a bit worried about the ground, but he jumped everywhere and did it well in the end."
De Bromhead said: "It's great for the owners and Robbie gave him a super ride. He'll keep going over the summer and could be one for the (Galway) Plate or the Kerry National or the summer Nationals."
Wounded Warrior (20-1), second in the Growise Novice Chase at this meeting three years ago, made most of the running for an impressive success in the BoyleSports Handicap Chase.
Noel Meade's nine-year-old had shown precious little since, bar when he was second in the Thyestes Chase in January, but he had seemingly regressed from that run.
Ridden positively by Sean Flanagan, he barely saw another rival and beat Isleofhopendreams by seven lengths with Harry Fry's Fletchers Flyer third.
Meade said: "He's a little bit of a character, he doesn't always put his best foot forward. He ran a very good race (when second) in the Thyestes Chase and then lost his way again, but he's come back. We knew he was coming back but he's hard to predict.
"He stays very well and Sean got a good tune out of him and he jumped great. It's hard to win here, there's a fella down there in Carlow called Mullins and he's just taking over!"
The Ballymore Handicap Hurdle was another race dominated by Willie Mullins as Meri Devie led home three of the first four for the Closutton man.
Rachael Blackmore was replacing the injured Noel Fehily and the 14-1 chance swooped late to beat stablemate C'Est Jersey with Benkei third for Harry Rogers.
Mullins' Bunk Off Early looked to be coming to win the race but flattened the last and finished fourth.
Mullins said: "She disappointed me all year. I thought the way she was handicapped, she could win a big one but it took Rachael to get it out of her. She got very strong this year and I just couldn't get her fit enough."
In what capped an unbelievable week for Mullins his Passageway (7-2 joint-favourite) came with a late run to win the PDM (Pro/AM) INH Flat Race under Patrick Mullins to provide the team with an incredible 18th winner of the meeting.
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