A review of the pick of the action from Sunday's meeting at Punchestown where Willie Mullins unleashed a potentially smart juvenile.
Good Heart is a hit
Storm Heart got his new career for Willie Mullins off to the perfect start when running out a wide margin winner of the Tote.ie 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle.
Sent off the 2/5 favourite victory was not unexpected but the manner of the French import's 22-length success prompted bookmakers to cut Storm Heart from 33/1 to as short as 8/1 for the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March; Sky Bet quoted 12/1 in the race's aftermath with Betfair Sportsbook and Paddy Power 2 points shorter.
Winning jockey Paul Townend told Racing TV: "He was running to a level on the flat in France and his work had been nice but a few of them had not shown what they were doing at home so this lad was a pleasant surprise and he stays well.
"A couple of times (he lengthened when asked), down the straight there, took on the last well. He got a fright at one of the hurdles down the back but was brave enough to take on the next couple well, albeit a little high, and he's professional.
"I hope so (he'll improve) and that will be exciting."
Mullins added: "I wasn't sure where to put him. I ran three juveniles over Christmas, one won, the other got beaten - beaten too far out - and he was probably what I thought was the best of them and Storm Heart didn't look as fit as either of the other two and yet he put in a huge performance.
"For me that was a huge performance to come away from a field like that, experienced hurdlers. He got knocked down twice in the race; Paul said he was very brave, went down to the next hurdle, faced it and wanted to jump it so he looks a nice type of horse for the future."
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'Everything went way better than I thought'
Sir Gerhard (10/11 favourite) bounced back from a fall over fences to win the Tote Guarantee Available On Course & Tote.ie Hurdle over two miles and three furlongs and complete a double on the card for Townend and Mullins.
A top-class performer in bumpers and novice hurdles, last season - his first over fences - was far from plain sailing for Sir Gerhard with his campaign interrupted by injuries.
Having run over three miles at the Punchestown and Cheltenham Festivals, Sir Gerhard returned to action over the minimum trip at Naas and was in the process of running an encouraging race behind stablemate Dinoblue when falling two from home.
Mullins told his Sporting Life column that they were hoping to build his confidence back up and it certainly didn't appear to have been affected as he travelled kindly for Townend before quickening clear to win by two and three quarter lengths.
Thedevilscoachman, also reverting to hurdles, was second with Ashdale Bob third.
Vanillier, second in last season's Aintree Grand National, was fifth on his second start of the campaign.
Sky Bet reacted by cutting Sir Gerhard to 12/1 (from 33s) for the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival - Paddy Power and Betfair Sportsbook offer 14/1 - and Mullins confirmed that contest could well be on the agenda.
"Took a while to recover from that fall at Naas," he said, "he pulled muscles all over the place so we decided to come back over hurdles. This was a nice type of race, when you see the type of runner in it, a lot of horses coming back from fences. I'd have to have a chat with Cheveley Park but I'd imagine we might be trying to stay over hurdles and maybe go down the Stayers' Hurdle route rather than back over fences.
"Paul said to me he galloped like a three miler throughout the race and he was idling in front I thought; we wouldn't have any worries about the trip.
"He made the running in the Cheltenham bumper and we decided to do that because he was so keen going and it paid off but he's settling a lot better now. Just hoping (he'd put in a performance like that); he pulled a lot of muscles in his back and I was hoping that wouldn't stop him jumping but he jumped very well today and he seemed to have got over it all. He was nice and rounded jumping his hurdles, everything went way better than I thought it could go.
"We could (see him again before March). Trying to find a race for him now. I'm not sure I want to go to the Galmoy with him, we might find a shorter race somewhere just for fitness rather than practice."
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Three Card Brag trumped
There was a minor surprise in the opening Download The New Tote App Beginners Chase with Three Card Brag (4/11 favourite) no match for old rival Monty's Star (9/4), trained by Henry De Bromhead.
The Gordon Elliott-trained market leader had finished one place and two and a half lengths in front of his rival when the duo filled the places behind Corbetts Cross at Fairyhouse at the start of the month but Monty's Star comfortably reversed the form on this step up to three miles.
Victory did not come as a surprise to connections with Rachael Blackmore saying: "I was hoping so (that he'd reverse the form).
"The step up in trip was probably going to suit both horses but our lad was having his first run the last day so natural improvement from that, we were hopeful he would; it was a very good run.
"He's got a lot of ability, he's tough, he's a good attitude and he jumps really well."
Three Card Brag's connections again had to settle for minor honours in the following Tote, Never Beaten By SP Handicap Chase as Where It All Began could finish only third, some 10 lengths behind Clonmeen (4/1) and Kings Halo who fought out a thrilling finish with the former prevailing by a head for William Murphy and Simon Torrens.
Murphy said: “The horses were all sick for about six weeks and it’s great to see them back in form. That was tight for comfort, but it was a tough performance, and the main thing is he won. We might think about something like the National Trial back here.”
Catch The Beast (5/2 favourite) landed the odds in facile fashion for Philip Enright and Edward Cawley in the Tote Fantasy Handicap Hurdle.
The bottom weight finished well held on last month's handicap debut and was 20/1 in places in the early betting shows but Catch The Beast was well supported throughout the day and didn't let his supporters down, winning by 10 lengths in a canter.
"He is a nice horse and hopefully he'll go on from here," said Cawley.
"I was saying is the trip too short for him today and Philip said 'I'd have no trouble, on soft ground, coming back with him' because he's a brilliant jumper; he was making lengths at every hurdle. He wouldn't impress me to look at but he does it very well what he does.
"He impressed me alright (today)! I didn't realise he'd pick them up like that; I didn't realise he had that ability. I knew he would run a very good race, he had to be in the shake-up off bottom weight. A bit of a gamble to put him in against much more experienced horses and I was saying will I go to a 0-109 and he'd get in there carrying top-weight on heavy ground and I thought it was a better option to come here off, basically, 10 stone and give him a good run and see where you go with him."
There was also support for Billy Lee Swagger (15/2) at double figure prices but he and Conor Owens had to work a little harder to land the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle for trainer Philip Rothwell with a winning margin of half a length.
The closing Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race saw a good tussle between Lady Bluebird (6/1) and Instant Tendance with the former coming out on top by two lengths.
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