Punchestown Sunday review and free video replays

Moon shines at Punchestown

French recruit Hispanic Moon made a successful debut for Henry de Bromhead in the Frontline Security Grabel Mares Hurdle at Punchestown.

A multiple winner in her homeland for David Cottin, the six-year-old was a 20/1 shot to secure Listed honours on her first start on Irish soil in the hands of Darragh O’Keeffe.

With 8/15 favourite Shecouldbeanything disappointingly failing to pick up in the straight, Hispanic Moon moved smoothly to the lead approaching the final flight and found plenty on the run-in to see off the challenge of Saylavee by a length and three-quarters.

De Bromhead said: “She did it really well and had been working nicely at home. She obviously had good form and Kieran (Mariga, owner) spotted her.

“She’s a gorgeous looking mare and I’m delighted with her today. I’d say that’s as short as she’d want and hopefully a step up in trip will suit her.”

A Royale turn-up

There was an even bigger shock in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle, with top-class bumper horse Tullyhill turned over by Shannon Royale.

Tullyhill was a £220,000 purchase last year for owners Cheveley Park Stud after winning his point-to-point. He made a winning bumper debut at Gowran Park in March before finding only A Dream To Share too strong in Grade One company at the Punchestown Festival.

The Willie Mullins-trained gelding was a 1/8 shot for his reappearance and hurdling bow, but the warning signs were out after a mistake before the home bend and in the end Gordon Elliott’s Shannon Royale pulled 24 lengths clear in the hands of Jack Kennedy.

“I was disappointed with him the last day and put cheek pieces on to sharpen him up,” said Elliott.

“He’d fitness on his side, but Jack said he was a different horse altogether today and maybe he just needed the run the last day. His jumping was good but he has been disappointing. We’ll probably look for a three-mile handicap somewhere and see what happens.”

Kennedy added: "He was good there, happy with him. I knew I was jumping a lot better than him (Tullyhill) because he was kind of coming to me going to hurdles and I was taking lengths out at every hurdle so we had the advantage that way.

"My lad picked up well and galloped to the line. I suppose it (fitting cheekpieces) was the obvious thing to do really the way he ran the first couple of times, they were a massive help."

Birchdale strikes in Thunder

Jody Ted (2/1 favourite) landed a fifth career success when landing some good bets in the Pertemps Network Group Handicap Hurdle.

The seven-year-old beat all bar Kilcruit at the Festival in April and scored in good style on his reappearance at Limerick last month. Jody Ted took up the running early in the straight and was driven out to score by a length and a half.

Winning handler Eoin Griffin told irishracing.com: “Off his chase rating you could say he’s thrown in but it doesn’t always work out that way. It’s pleasing to get it done. I was worried that it could turn into a bit of a messy race but he was just about okay. He was a little bit keen and in Mark’s hands most of the way round.

“He had a bit in the tank and stays well. It’s his first time completing a three-mile race so we’re happy with that and he’ll probably go to the Paddy Power (Chase) at Christmas. Off 134 hopefully he’ll get in, he would have the last couple of years and he’ll have a nice weight.

“He won a couple of races for us as a novice and then unfortunately picked up an injury. Last year when he came back he didn’t have a lot of experience and he’d days where he was a bit impatient.

“This year he’s been impeccable and is maturing with age. Hopefully it’s onwards and upwards for Christmas.”

Birchdale (5/2 favourite) may have earned himself a trip to Cheltenham next month after providing trainer Enda Bolger with another winner over Punchestown’s cross-country course in the Pigsback.com Risk Of Thunder Chase.

Bolger said: “He was enjoying it anyway, which with those horses is the main thing. We might have a look at Cheltenham in December and he’d like a bit of nicer ground in the spring.”

Winning jockey Simon Torrens said: "He's getting on in year but he seems to have taken to this quite well.

"There wasn't a great deal of pace beforehand. Singing Banjo and Vital Island said the two of them would tiddle along at the front do we didn't go overly hard; he jumped and took me everywhere and he did it nicely in the end."

There was a minor surprise in the closing Irish Daily Mirror (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race as Gavin Cromwell's The Passing Wife (3/1) beat odds-on favourite Prends Garde A Toi by half a length with the pair pulling 21 lengths clear of the third.

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