Easy for Wodhooh in Punchestown opener Wodhooh easily brushed aside her five rivals in the opener at Punchestown this afternoon, the Paddy Power 'Don't Mind The Flat, The Jumps Are Back' 3yo Hurdle. Rightly awarded a race in the stewards room on her debut over flights at Listowel last month, the Gordon Elliott-trained French bred was widely expected to follow-up today, going off the clear favourite at 11/10. Settled in third by Jack Kennedy, the bay victor came with her challenge between horses from three out and edged to the front on the approach to the straight. She readily stretched clear on the run to the final flight and came home 24-lengths to the good in the colours of the Sundowners Partnership. For the third time in-a-row, Pigeon House (11/4) had to settle for second, while the front-running Our Boy Wes was another four-and-a-half lengths away in third, with this one let down by his hurdling. "She's a nice mare. We like her, she'll be better on softer ground and the further she goes," Elliott said. "We knew she'd come on from the run in Listowel but I think on softer ground there is another half-stone in her. She's a very honest filly. "Jack said it was like she only jumped in at the third last. She was flat out for the first half of the race and then the further she went the better she was. "We'd like to get a bit of black type over hurdles with her now. There is a race in Newbury the first week in December that she could go for." The winner is now available at 20/1 with Paddy Power for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham in March. Additional reporting by Alan Magee
