Stevie delights favourite backers under McNally

Steviemac added to a Punchestown win from almost a fortnight back when he justified good market-support (9/2 in the morning into 5/2) when giving amateur, Colin McNally his third winner on the racecourse to add to "seven or eight in point-points" in the Munster Handicap Hurdle.

Seven pound claimer, McNally had full confidence in his partner's ability to see out the two and a quarter mile trip, by taking over four out. However when he jumped left two out, the pursuing Doransfirth appeared to have big hopes. She floundered though from before the last and Steviemac went on to see her off by a comfortable seven lengths at the finish.

Successful trainer, Gerry Keane said: "I'm hoping he'll be good enough to go on from here. He'll keep hurdling for this winter but he has won a point-to-point so he'll go chasing then. Colin thought that seeing as he won a point that he'd stay galloping and that's why he went from so far out. The ground is very deep though and he was game to stay going. He has a good old pedigree being a half-brother to Possible Gale and Whizbang."

Steven Vaughan and Patrick McNally, the winning owners, are Meath men, with the latter also the father of the winning pilot.