British champion trainer Paul Nicholls saddled a 1-2 in the feature Grade One Kerrygold Champion Chase on the opening day of the 2008 Punchestown Festival when Twist Magic came home a length and three quarters in front of stablemate Natal.
"Faster ground makes a big difference to him and if he's OK, Twist Magic will run again at Sandown on Saturday," said Nicholls. "I was actually disappointed with the way he looked beforehand, perhaps I'm just being hyper-critical of myself but I'm sure we can improve him next year.
"The ground makes a massive difference to him - if the ground is soft at Cheltenham he has no chance - and the tongue tie worked today.
"I think Sandown will suit him, the track seems to help horses who have had breathing problems and if he's fit and healthy he'll run. It's a good pot on Saturday and he'll be out in a field in a fortnight's time so we might as well have a go.
"But I'm just as chuffed with the second horse, who is really only a handicapper. He was given a very strong ride by AP (McCoy). He's the sort that could run in the decent two-milers next year and pick up some good prize money. He could start off in something like the Haldon Gold Cup."
Ruby Walsh, who rode the winner, added: "He made a mistake at the second last coming past the stands but other than that it went perfectly. The flat track also suited him."
The winning connections were presented with their trophies by the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese.
SO EASY FOR JERED
The Noel Meade-trained Jered justified 7/4 favouritism for the Grade One vcbet.com Champion Novice Hurdle in style when the facile eight-length winner of the two-mile contest.
The six-year-old has now won his last three starts and earned quotes of 14/1 from Paddy Power and William Hill (and 20/1 with Cashmans) for next year's Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.
"It all went well expect for him tanking a bit halfway but otherwise he jumped super and did everything we thought he might," said Meade.
"We've always thought he was very good and it is probably a blessing in disguise that he didn't go to Cheltenham because the ground would have been very testing for him there. He's much better on today's ground.
"That's it for this season but I hope he might go to the top next year - he looks to have the potential and if he stays sound I hope he could. You'd hope he'd be good enough to run in all the top races.
"He worked the other morning with Harchibald and looked good although we don't test them at home to find out how good they are."
Willie Mullins, trainer of third-placed Fiveforthree, said: "It was probably the ground (that beat him) and although he was staying on at the end it wasn't enough of a test of stamina for him.
"I was delighted with his jumping and, as long as he comes out of it well, he will run again on Friday in the two and a half miler."
Co Waterford-based owner Michael Ryan - whose blue and green colours have been carried by dual classic winner Finsceal Beo and star hurdler Al Eile - had his first Punchestown Festival success when the Ted Walsh-trained Wedger Pardy took the opening DNG Nationwide Chase for the Ladies Perpetual Cup under Ross O'Sullivan.
The winner, who landed a point-to-point at Punchestown on March 17, had finished second in last year's DNG Nationwide Chase and could make a quick reappearance this week.
"He's in the La Touche Cup on Thursday but that looks a hot race and he'd be more likely to run in the hunter chase (Cox's Cash and Carry Champion Hunter Chase) on Saturday," said Walsh.
"He's no Finsceal Beo or Al Eile - he's probably 17 levels below them - but he's OK and has a lucky owner."
Ryan, who has a total of 12 horses in training, added: "He loves the ground and I've been dreaming of a winner here for the last month. We won the point-to-point with him here but this is my first winner at the Punchestown Festival."
AIR FORCE FLIES HOME
The Charlie Mann-trained Air Force One cruised to an impressive 13-length success in the Ellier Developments Hanover Reach Champion Novice Chase, earning a 33/1 quote with William Hill for next season's totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.
"He jumped for fun," said Mann. "Everyone has said that he wanted to go right-handed because of the races he has been running in but I think he was dying to go left-handed and Noel (Fehily) said that's what he wants.
"I've always thought the world of him. He was a St Leger horse on the Flat in Germany, and it's nice to think he might be taking on the likes of Kauto Star next year.
"He didn't jump at all at Cheltenham, it was a complete balls up and I was gutted because his whole year had been aimed around the Royal & SunAlliance Chase.
"The form was there - he had been second to the winner Albertas Run in the Reynoldstown Chase and he had beaten the third so he should have been second at Cheltenham.
"For once I did the right thing in missing Aintree and instead going for an easy race at Market Rasen before coming here."
The Willie Mullins-trained Quiscover Fontaine comfortably recouped his 29,000 euros purchase price when landing the 75,000 Goffs Land Rover Bumper under the winning trainer's nephew Emmet at odds of 16/1.
Meanwhile, the concluding Irish Sun Flat Race went to the Pat Fahy-trained debutant No Stopping Sarah, who won by two and a half lengths from Gallant Light.
FAREWELL TO BEEF
Tomorrow's Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup will be the final start for one of jump racing's biggest stars, the 10-time Grade One winner Beef Or Salmon, whose trainer Michael Hourigan told INN that the day will be emotional.
"I will try and not let my emotions show but he has been such a wonderful horse," said Hourigan. "When the weather was bad about a month ago, he was going to retire and I said to the owners that wouldn't it be wonderful to finish at Punchestown in a race he has won before (in 2004).
"The main reason we wanted to come here is that he can do a lap of honour after he's finished in front of the crowd. We discussed jockeys and said that Timmy Murphy should ride him for his swansong."
CROWD
Today's attendance on the opening day of the 2008 Punchestown Festival was 18,168, up from 17,974 on the same day last year.
GUINNESS FOR NEPTUNE COLLONGES?
Popular Extra Place Specials on Wednesday including on Paddy Power Bumper
PADDY POWER proudly sponsors the 110,000 euros Grade 1 Paddy Power Champion INH Flat Race (5.25pm) at Punchestown tomorrow, when the card also features the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup (4.15pm).
Neptune Collonges, who won the latter contest a year ago for Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh, is 11-8 favourite with Paddy Power to win again following his fine effort when chasing home stablemates Denman and Kauto Star in last month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Michael Hourigan is well represented courtesy of Mossbank, the 9-4 second favourite with the world’s friendliest bookmaker, and Beef Or Salmon and Hi Cloy are both 20-1 shots.
Mossbank was runner-up in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and his trainer told the Racing Post last Friday that the eight-year-old had “bounced out of his trip to Cheltenham well and we’ve kept him ticking over with this race in mind all along. He seems in good order.”
PUNCHESTOWN GUINNESS GOLD CUP
Paddy Power: 11-8 Neptune Collonges, 9-4 Mossbank, 7 Kicking King, 10 Mister Top Notch, 12 Snowy Morning, 16 New Alco, 20 Beef Or Salmon, Hi Cloy, 33 Sher Beau All quoted
THE PADDY POWER CHAMPION INH FLAT RACE
The Paddy Power Champion INH Flat Race is the richest bumper in racing, including the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, and to celebrate Paddy Power is offering one of its popular extra place specials on the race and will pay out on four places each-way.
Cousin Vinny and Corskeagh Royale, first and second in the Cheltenham Bumper, lock horns again with the former extremely likely to go off favourite.
There is a strong English challenge bidding for some euros, including Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten Front Of House, the Carl Llewellyn-trained pair of Have You Seen Me and Murphy, Alan Swinbank’s Touch Of Irish, who was runner-up in the Aintree bumper, and Dayia, trained by Jeff Pearce.
Powers also offer an extra place special, going five places each-way, on tomorrow’s opening Martinstown Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle (2.30pm).
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