Kilcruit and Paul Townend in winning form© Photo Healy Racing
Kilcruit breezed home for an emphatic victory in the Grade A novice handicap chase over 2m5f at Punchestown.
The eight-year-old Stowaway gelding loves it in Punchestown where he made it four from five, across all codes, with this 15-length success.
The 11/4 favourite made all under Paul Townend and travelled in his comfort zone on this drop in class from two unplaced runs in Grade 1 company. Life In The Park and Jody Ted tried to go after him rounding the home bend and they may have thought they had a chance of reeling him in when he made a mistake two out, however, Life In The Park blundered and lost momentum and Jody Ted could make no inroads.
The leader moved clear before the last from Jody Ted who was less than fluent. The winner scooted in by a wide margin from the 28/1 runner-up. Life In The Park was three-parts of a length back in third at 18/5.
Paul Townend said: "We hit the second-last a good clout. I was able to dictate it away in front and he jumped like a buck bar that one. We were quickening down there and I kind of let him figure it out himself. He's a big, strong horse and he got through it.
"In fairness, he had been kind of showing us that he was coming back into form at home and we were hoping for a round like that.
"That was the thing, a big drop in class for him. He started to enjoy it and loved the ground.
"He's coming to himself now, he promised a lot as a younger horse and as a hurdler, but chasing is his game. When I won his beginners' (chase) on him here, he just loved jumping fences.
"He's not always the strongest finisher, but he did today even after missing the last two.
"He's riding like a more mature horse as well, so he is going the right way and brilliant for Michael (Masterson, owner) to have a winner here as well."
Assistant trainer David Casey said: “He was very good and I think the drying ground helped him a lot.
“His work at home in the last two weeks when the gallop got dry had been very good. He was probably a graded horse in against handicappers.
“He jumps for fun and he gallops away on the ground. Paul said he was in control at all stages, he was happy and he was in a beautiful rhythm the whole way. It couldn't have gone smoother.
“We could maybe have a look at the Galway Plate, you'd imagine that would be the ideal race to look at. He should get a bit of confidence from that race.”
This was a 12th winner of the festival for trainer Willie Mullins.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
