A Dream To Share won an incredible fifth bumper when winning the Race and Stay At Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race. The victory, followed wins at the Dublin Racing Festival in March and the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival last month.
Today he had to battle more than ever. He was challenge on the home stretch by Tullyhill, the mount of Patrick Mullins but the 8/11f showed his quality, under John Gleeson, to eventually move clear and win by three-and-three-quarter lengths at the winning post. His record now reads 5 wins from 5 runs and two wins at Grade 1 level.
Winning machine A Dream To Share (8-11F) adds the Grade One Race & Stay At Punchestown Champion INH Flat Race to an unbeaten record that now extends to five races. pic.twitter.com/aEtOghx7fn
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) April 26, 2023
Gaelic Warrior was an easy 10-length winner of the Grade 1 Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle. The German-bred son of Maxios was comfortable throughout the race under Paul Townend. The win, another success at the highest level for this week for Willie Mullins.
The Willie Mullins-trained Gaelic Warrior (4-5F) wins the Grade One Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle at Punchestown under a cool waiting ride from Paul Townend. pic.twitter.com/jWhttTirVG
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) April 26, 2023
Ballybawn Belter (17/2), in the colours of the race sponsor J.P. McManus, won the opening Adare Manor Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle. Trained in Wexford by Liz Doyle, the five-year-old bay filly travelled well throughout the 2m 3f 180yards race, and claimed the lead on entering the home straight.
Though the daughter of Valirann began to tire in the shadows of the line, jockey Charlie O’Dwyer kept the previously two-time winner going to claim the win by one length. The English-trained challenger Bread And Butter finished runner-up for trainer Ollie Murphy, with Mouse Morris’ Camino Rock a neck further back in third.
🗣 “Will the line come in time? IT WILL!”
💚💛 JP McManus’ green & gold silks are carried to glory by Ballybawn Belter for Charlie O’Dwyer & Liz Doyle in the opener on day two at @punchestownrace pic.twitter.com/tbsG6qqetr
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 26, 2023
The race favourite, Sandor Clegane (15/8) third in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival, was a comfortable winner of the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series Final, a second Wexford trained winner on the day, this time for Paul Nolan, and ridden by Seán O’Keeffe.
Grangeclare West (6/4f), who had disappointed on his two previous runs, ran out a four-and-a-quarter length winner of the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle. In the colours of Cheveley Park Stud, the seven-year-old gelded son of Presenting was another winner at Punchestown 2023 for jockey Paul Townend and trainer Willie Mullins.
Hereditary Rule under seven-pound claimed Shane O’Callaghan gave John McConnell a Punchestown Festival winner when claiming the €100,000 HSS Hire Handicap Steeplechase, the penultimate race on the Wednesday card.
