Lite Duties lands major plunge

The euro was shovelled on Lite Duties at Punchestown and the five-year-old gelding rewarded his backers with a game display in the two mile six handicap hurdle.

He was backed at all rates in the betting ring from 11/2 down to 11/4 and obliged for Charles Byrnes and Davy Russell.

The winner moved nicely to the fore after the second last, but at that stage you couldn’t call him the winner as no less than eight horses held a chance of victory.

Russell's blue and white silks held the initiative jumping the last, but only by a slight margin. The complexion of the race changed upon landing as Lite Duties bounded away to score by four and a half lengths. Samanntom at 9/1 (from 20/1 in the morning) rallied for second and 16/1 shot Dom Lukka completed the placings.

Charles Byrnes said: "A horse fell in front of him at the second last the last day at Cork, and only for that he would have been closer. He'll tip away in those handicaps."

Additional reporting by Alan Magee