Forget The Past keeps punters smiling

Racing : Cheltenham Gold Cup third Forget The Past capitalised on a lenient timber rating by making a winning reappearance in…

Racing: Cheltenham Gold Cup third Forget The Past capitalised on a lenient timber rating by making a winning reappearance in the VCBet Hurdle over two and a half miles at Punchestown.

Sent off the 11-10 joint-favourite, he tracked market rival You Sir and moved up travelling smoothly as they approached the third-last flight.

A slick jump took him to the front and, although he got tired on the run-in, he still had half a length to spare at the line.

Forget The Past was having his first run since the big festival meeting at this track last April and O'Brien said: "Andrew (Lynch) said he blew up twice — we haven't done an awful lot with him fitness-wise. Today was just to get him out and give him a run.

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"I'll decide with Sean (Mulryan, owner) whether to run the two of them in the Hennessy (at Leopardstown on February 10) or not. He's done every asked of him as it is a long time since he ran."

Convincing just held the late thrust of Majestic Concorde to land the Grade Three Panda Juvenile Hurdle.

The 8-1 chance was no match for the exciting Lounaos on his latest outing, but met nothing of that ilk here and took up the running as the five-runner field departed the back straight.

He was always holding the game runner-up and scored by a short head, with odds-on favourite Jayo pulling up.

Winning trainer John Joseph Murphy said: "He was a little bit sick after Leopardstown — he didn't eat up and he had a temperature that night. I was shocked he ran so badly there.

"I think an awful lot of him and always have. But I don't know if he will be a Cheltenham horse for this season as he is a huge, scopey chasing type."