Grainne A Chroi claims the big honours in Grade 3 Quevega Mares Hurdle
Marie Harding won the feature race at Punchestown on Wedesday Photo: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
The Marie Harding-trained Grainne A Chroi was the big winner on Punchestown’s Thursday card when landing the Grade 3 Quevega Mares Hurdle.
Grainne A Chroi landed big odds of 16-1, winning by three quarters of a length on her first start in nearly a year, beating 100/30 chance World Of Fortunes.
Read below for a full report of the Punchestown card courtesy of BOYLE Sports, who offer the very latest horse racing betting.
Up first on Thursday’s card was a two mile maiden hurdle (1.40) and the opener went the way of 30/100 favourite Straight John for high-powered duo Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy, a three and a quarter length scorer from Bulgaden Castle.
Court Compliance justified favouritism to get off the mark over hurdles in race two on the Punchestown card (2.10) having finished runner-up over obstacles on his three previous starts for trainer Bill Durkan. Court Compliance showed a good turn of foot in the home straight to score by four and a half lengths.
The feature race of the day was up next at 2.45 where Grainne A Chroi was successful, the seven-year-old taking charge after the penultimate hurdle and finding plenty in the latter stages to score from World Of Fortune, with favourite Lantry Landy trailing home fourth for Henry De Bromhead.
How’s Hannah was a comfortable winner of the two and three quarter mile maiden hurdle at 3.15, winning by two lengths for the formidable team of trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Patrick Mullins off the back of landing a bumper by 13 lengths when last seen at this track and was pushed up in trip for her hurdling debut.
Well Del was successful by just a neck in in the three mile and a furlong handicap hurdle, race five on the card (3.45) for the David Walsh team, landing odds of 3/1 to beat Small Town Hero and they in turn were a massive 17 lengths clear of Ontheropes in third.
Rebel Cowgirl was another big price winner on the card, scoring at odds of 11/1 in the two and a half mile handicap hurdle (4.15) for trainer Mark Cahill, while the finale on the day (4.45) went the way of Keep Twisting for trainer Mark Fahey, a three quarters of a length winner of the two-mile bumper.
1.40 - Straight John (30/100 F)
2.10 - Court Compliance (11/10 F)
2.45 - Grainne A Chroi (16/1)
3.15 - How’s Hannah (1-2 F)
3.45 - Well Del (3/1)
4.15 - Rebel Cowgirl (11/1)
4.45 - Keep Twisting (15/2)
