Curious Bride (Sean Flanagan, inner) clears the last with Palm Beach and Mark Walsh© Photo Healy Racing
From the front Curious Bride (6/1) stuck on her second outing over jumps in the Play Ladbrokes 5-A-Side Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown.
It was a good game performance from Noel Meade’s Excelebration filly, victorious in a similar all-the-way manner in a mile and a half Flat handicap at Cork in September.
Under Sean Flanagan Curious Bride looked vulnerable when joined from before the last by Palm Beach (3/1).
However when he ‘missed’ that flight she wasn’t long about taking advantage, going on to win by a length and three parts. Zoffanien (14/1) ran well four and a half lengths back in third. Coltor the 2/1 favourite, finished fourth.
“She got into a lovely rhythm today, obviously the experience of the run the last day stood to her,” said Flanagan.
“She had form in the book and she jumped really well. I thought Mark (Walsh on Palm Beach) was coming to pip me at the last, but her jumping has won her the race and she stuck her head down and galloped all the way to the line.
“The further she goes in the future the better I'd say it'll be for her.
“Ideally we probably should have made the running with her in Cork but on her first run I didn't want to be bullying her along. I wanted to get the experience into her first time.”
(GC & EM)
