Champion Green and Mark Walsh© Photo Healy Racing
Champion Green gave Joseph O'Brien, Mark Walsh and owner JP McManus a quick double at Naas this afternoon when running out a cosy winner of the first division of the four-year-old maiden hurdle.
Walsh bounced out in front on the 4/6 shot who had been pulled up early last time after his saddle slipped.
There was no drama today as the son of The Gurkha skipped a couple of lengths clear before the final flight to settle matters.
Walsh just kept him going in the closing stages to record a comfortable three-and-a-half length win over the well supported Magic Word (22/1 into 10/1).
Connections of Champion Green had also taken the preceding Limestone Lad Hurdle with Darasso
Assistant Brendan Powell said:- “He’s been a bit keen and the last time the saddle went up his neck so Mark has decided to let him pop along today and he’s jumped beautiful.
“Making the running has made him settle, he’s had a look at the hurdles and jumped them well.
“We’ll see what sort of mark he gets and whether he’ll be a Boodles horse or not.”
The winner is unchanged at 14/1 with Paddy Power for the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.
(Quotes by Alan Magee)
