PUNCHESTOWN ROUND-UP Two key ‘bankers’
HORSE RACING Brace of cross-country chase wins
THERE WERE some notable Wexford performances at the Punchestown festival, the highlights being two cross-country chase wins over the famous Banks course for local connections.
Treo Eile (10/1) won the famous La Touche Cup for Shay Slevin (Kiltra, Caim) on Thursday, and on Saturday Need to Know won for John Paul Brennan from Camolin and rider Benny Walsh (Murrintown).
Treo Eile (5/1) had warmed up on Tuesday with a great run under Benny Walsh in the Seán Breen Memorial Race for the Ladies’ Cup over three miles of the banks, being just run out of it by Jamie Codd on Enniskillen.
He had to travel an extra nine furlongs on Thursday under Barry Cash in the longest race on the Irish calendar, and he was facing a hot favourite in Cantlow (8/11), an Enda Bolger banks specialist. Cash, at 43 riding his last Punchestown Festival, gave him a great ride and in a storming finish edged out the favourite by a head after four miles and a furlong.
Third, well back, was First Lieutenant (6/1) for Mouse Morris under Shay Slevin’s son, J.J. The twelve-year-old was retired after the race and Slevin got a whopping 21-day suspension for use of the whip.
Shay Slevin was absolutely thrilled with Treo Eile, and with Barry Cash. ‘I thought we were running for place-money. I’m delighted and couldn’t believe it. I worked with Barry (Cash) in Aidan O’Brien’s, it must be 25 years ago; you can’t beat experience.
‘J.J., my son, would have been better staying with me today! It was him actually that schooled him as a young horse and said he’d be a banks horse. He was dead right.’ J.J. rode the horse in quite a few points before he turned professional.
That was just Treo Eile’s fourth run on the track and his first win, but he had scored five wins from 21 point-to-point outings, including his last three runs in the past year over the banks at Lingstown.
It was a welcome win for Shay Slevin as he has been having a quiet season. He has had nearly 50 point-to-point winners in his career but this season he has just had seven runners, with Treo Eile providing him with his two wins.
He is owned by Michelle O’Neill. Still only a nine-year-old, connections can look forward to lots more fun with Treo Eile given a bit of luck.
Need to Know and Benny Walsh held off a team of four Enda Bolger/J.P. McManus banks horses to come home a comfortable winner of the €15,000 Cross Country Chase on Saturday, giving trainer John Paul Brennan his first track success since he won a couple of bumpers eight years ago. The horse was well backed, in from 16/1 in the morning to 8/1.
He had been fourth in the La Touche on Thursday under Barry O’Neill after surviving a bad mistake.
This was his first win from 18 track runs, but he has won nine point-to-point races since his first at Ballinaboola in 2014, the latest being at Tinahely in February.
It was a welcome change of luck for Benny Walsh and ample compensation. He won this race last year on Mtada Supreme, and this was his third win over the Punchestown banks.
He was going very well again on the well-backed Mtada Supreme in the La Touche when the horse ducked out through the wings at the third last for no apparent reason.
John Paul Brennan trains at Monasootha, Camolin, concentrating mostly on the points scene. He had his best season last year with ten winners, and has had four this season so far. The horse is owned by his wife, Marie, and Colm Hearne.
A couple of other Wexford runs noted: Seán Flanagan was third on Genie in a Bottle for Noel Meade on Tuesday in the Grade 1 Champion Novice Chase, behind stable mate Disko, and on Wednesday in the Martinstown Opportunity Hurdle final, there was a fine run by Liam Kenny’s (Ballydarragh, Craanford) A Rated (16/1) under Barry Browne to finish third, beaten just a head and a length.