Si C'etait Vrai wins Punchestown finale

Si C'etait Vrai under Bryan Cooper, made all for a Gigginstown House Stud 1-2 in the concluding Free Festival Ticket Upgrade Now On Hurdle at Punchestown today, proving the wrong result for the owner's retained rider Davy Russell.

Russell had chosen to ride Shrapnel in the race but that gelding had couldn't match the winner's pace before the turn in and eventually finished second, two and a quarter lengths behind Si Cetait Vrai.

Afterwards winning trainer Dessie Hughes stated “Si Cetait Vrai was nearly entitled to win a race like that. He stays and jumps well and conditions suited and he goes on that ground. He was reasonably well in and if he reproduced his run behind Cause Of Causes, it was nearly good enough. We qualified him for the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham the last day (when unplaced at Leopardstown) and he could possibly go for that race.”

Quotes from Gary Carson