PUNCHESTOWN FESTIVAL REPORTS:DERMOT WELD endured a nightmare journey back from California but made it to Punchestown in time to watch Hidden Universe capture the Grade One Paddy Power Champion Bumper in style yesterday.
Stranded in Los Angeles since Sunday due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland, Weld at least managed to get home but it was courtesy of an around-the-houses exercise that Hidden Universe eschewed in favour of a straight-forward display of quality.
Robbie McNamara had the four-year-old on the rail and in the first three throughout and, when he kicked early in the straight, everything else in the race was doomed to a losing battle.
“Tactics still work,” Weld said afterwards. “From my own days riding around here I know that riding the rail is a big help and things don’t change. I thought he was a winner from a long way out and he is going to be an outstanding dual-purpose horse.”
Weld arrived just a couple of hours before the race after a 24-hour hour trek from LA via New York, Boston, Paris and Dublin. “And I was lucky. You would feel for people who still can’t get home.”
Hidden Universe flopped in the Cheltenham bumper and his trainer said: “We don’t know what happened. He was 100 per cent after it. He might have got into a panic coming down the hill but it was still very disappointing.”
Andrew McNamara’s concussion on Tuesday cost him a Grade Three winner on Rigour Back Bob who was much too good for his opposition in the three-mile novice hurdle under Barry Geraghty.
Owned by a syndicate that includes the Galway hurling manager, John McIntyre, Rigour Back Bob was praised by trainer Edward O’Grady, who said: “He really is a model of consistency, winning four novices and being beaten a short head in another. If he gets his jumping right he could be a very good staying hurdler next year.”
They might not have been the Grade One collection from Tuesday but Willie Mullins continued his festival streak yesterday with two more winners that included a contender for easiest winner of the week in Sivota.
Ridden by the champion trainer’s nephew Emmett, the 7 to 2 favourite turned the Opportunity handicap hurdle into a procession, leaving Mullins to report: “The drying ground has been a big help and we’ll mix handicaps on the flat and over jumps. As the owners are from Roscommon, I’m sure Galway could be on the agenda.”
Polmar also scored for Mullins in the handicap chase, while Galway could be on the agenda for Gimli’s Rock too after Jessica Harrington’s runner thrived on the quick going to land the handicap hurdle.
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