Punchestown 2006

2006 entries

Punchestown 2005

Newmill lands rare Double
25/04/06

Newmill

John Murphy’s stable star Newmill, winner of Cheltenham’s Queen Mother Champion Chase last time out, completed a rare double when the brilliant 15-length winner of the Kerrygold Champion Chase at Punchestown on the first day of the Irish National Hunt Festival before a crowd of 15,557, up from 14,772 last year.

A summer at grass now awaits the eight-year-old and Murphy admitted that it is "50/50" whether his charge sticks to championship two-mile events or steps up in trip next season

"He’s a gift of a horse," said Murphy. "He has cruising speed, loves to bowl along and usually jumps brilliantly although we had a couple of scares today - maybe it was that expanse and the fact that there are no running rails in parts here.

"He loves to bowl along but then if you dropped him in behind he’d settle. He’s won big races on soft, good and quick ground, he’s very versatile.

"Maybe we’ll go for similar races next year. People have a notion that he doesn’t stay, but he does and he was staying on today."

The Betfair Million, beginning with the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November and concluding with the Cheltenham Gold Cup, next season will include the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown as an alternative second leg to the King George VI Chase and Murphy did not rule out a tilt at the treble.

"We’ll see how he summers before making any decisions but I’d say it’s 50/50 whether or not we step him up in trip to go over three miles and further next season. He could also easily have a couple of runs over hurdles."

Casey Key To Missed That

Jockey David Casey, replacing Ruby Walsh, brought about a return to form from Missed That when the impressive winner of the Grade 2 Ellier Developments Novice Chase

"It just shows that some horses go better for different jockeys," said Mullins. "We just thought that he’d run badly twice with Ruby on board and if he didn’t perform for David then we could blame the horse. I’ve been happy all along with the horse, he just didn’t perform at Cheltenham.

"But Ruby schooled this horse this morning and so probably put the finishing touches in for this race. I’ll talk it over with the owner but he could go for the French Champion Hurdle now."

Iktitaf In Front

Iktitaf, off the course since cutting a knee at Punchestown on February 5, lowered the colours of some higher-profile rivals including 8/11 favourite Straw Bear and stablemate Sweet Wake when capturing the Grade 1 VC Bet Champion Novice Hurdle under Ruby Walsh.

The winner earned a 12/1 quote with Cashmans for next year’s Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle and trainer Noel Meade reported: "He looked a real star the day he won at Fairyhouse before he got badly cut into here. Fair play to Jimmy Kelly, who is based in Naas and treated his knee, he could not have done a better job.

"The plan was always to come here once his cut was healed - we weren’t tempted by Fairyhouse given that he was a Grade 1 winner and I thought Jazz Messenger would win there.

"We might start off at Tipperary next season, Harchibald wouldn’t be ready for that race, but there’s no point making too many plans now because we’ve got plenty of time.

"Sweet Wake has not run his race, there is not much between the two of them at home, and he’ll be a player again. It looked like the two and a half miles would suit the way he was staying on."

Straw Bear, who was beaten seven lengths into second, will now have a break at owner’s J P McManus’s Martinstown Stud, and trainer Nick Gifford believes the horse would have benefited from softer ground.

"He’s run very well but we were beaten fair and square," said Gifford. "He jumped well but they were not going quick enough for him. He’s still a nice horse and would prefer softer ground. You could tell from the way the race panned out today that something would come and get him.

"He’ll go back to Martinstown for the summer but he’s still hopefully a Champion Hurdle horse for next season.

McManus Begins On A High

J P McManus began the 2006 Punchestown Festival on a high when Abram’s Bridge, under an inspired ride from J T McNamara, prevailed in the opening DNG Nationwide Chase.

The seven-year-old, justifying 3/1 favouritism, was enhancing trainer Enda Bolger’s superb record over Punchestown’s Banks Course and he could make a quick reappearance in Friday’s Kildare Hunt Club Chase". As J P said, we’ll put that win down to McNamara - he managed to cut all the corners," said Bolger. "Good ground makes all the difference to him and he could be out again on Friday."