Get Real moves into overdrive

Nicky Henderson and Mick Fitzgerald proved yet again they are the Festival kings when Get Real provided an unlikely success in yesterday's BMW Chase at Punchestown.

As a 3 to 1 second favourite to Edredon Bleu it may seem harsh to label Get Real an unlikely winner but as Henderson pointed out, this is a horse that likes to do things his own way.

"He can't go left-handed," the Lambourn trainer beamed in the winner's circle. "He pulls like an absolute train and when Mick walked the course he was worried that there were dolls instead of a running rail marking the track because the horse hangs so much to the right."

But for a team that led the way in their respective tables at Cheltenham, and were BMW winners with Big Matt just two years ago, such considerations are a challenge rather than a problem.

The favourite, Edredon Bleu, couldn't dominate from the front as he likes to as the blinkered His Song took him on from the start. That lasted the first few fences but just when His Song dropped away, Fitzgerald sent Get Real up to harry Edredon Bleu and from all of four fences out looked to be going best.

The novice Cenkos took up the chase but although he cut the deficit to a length Get Real was always holding him, overcoming any fitness doubts that surrounded his non-appearance since January.

"There just hasn't been any races in England suitable for him since the Victor Chandler. There's just nowhere for a horse rated 148 that can't race lefthanded to go. But at least he came here a fresh horse. This really was the plan," Henderson said

"It's going to be the same next year because I can only see three suitable races for him and hopefully we'll be back here," he added. "That was as exciting a race as you'll see, coming up the hill at that speed."

Exciting was an accurate description of most of the day's finishes but frustrating was the more appropriate word for favourite backers throughout the afternoon.

Tryphaena landed a substantial gamble in the Murphy Handicap Hurdle but that hardly eased the pain for those who lumped on the hotpot, Sausalito Bay, in the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle.

The 4 to 7 favourite tried to make all as he did at Cheltenham but whereas he battled like a trooper in March, he folded rather tamely in May when challenged by Moscow Flyer who grabbed the initiative at the second last and went clear from the turn-in.

Barry Geraghty kicked the winner 13 lengths clear of Aldino and the favourite, leaving trainer Jessica Harrington shaking her head in happy disbelief. "I got it wrong," she smiled. "He shows no speed at home and I thought he was a stayer. Talk about the trainer getting it wrong!"

In contrast the Bradstock Chase had a drifting favourite who looked set to win on the turn-in. However, Go Roger Go found little when let down and couldn't get past the pace-forcing Zourito who completed a five-timer.

Barry Cash substituted on the winner for the injured Conor O'Dwyer and trainer Arthur Moore was full of praise for the jockey: "Barry Cash, again, has given an outstanding ride. Zourito's a super horse, a great jumper and I thought there was an if about Go Roger Go staying."

There was no if about the level of support for Tryphaena and it paid off in style when Willie Mullins' mare beat off her stable companion Galeogan by a couple of lengths. It also justified a substantial waste down to 10st 3lb for rider Ruby Walsh.

"We planned to run her after her good run at Fairyhouse but Galeogan was a bit of an afterthought," said Mullins. "She's game, has a fair little engine and might run in something like the Galway Hurdle."

The 10 to 1 Digacre landed the opening banks race for the second year running while Pauls Run was an even bigger surprise to the backers when scoring at 16 to 1 in the handicap chase.

But there was some consolation in the bumper with Kickham scoring in the JP McManus colours from the Mullins-trained Summer In Siberia. "He could be a Cheltenham bumper horse for next season," said trainer Edward O'Grady.

Pat Fahey, who rode Ilaron into fifth subsequently, got a two-day ban for riding carelessly in this race.