Back In Front, the brilliant winner of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham and successful here earlier in the week, suffered a shock defeat in the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon.
So impressive at Cheltenham and again in the Grade 1 Champion Novice Hurdle on Tuesday, Back In Front was surprisingly easy to back as he attempted to emulate last year's double Festival scorer Davenport Milenium.
Sent off the 8/11 favourite, Back In Front went on from pacesetter In The Forge before the final flight but could not match the finishing speed of lone English raider Quazar on the run to the line.
Jonjo O'Neill, capping a tremendous year, said, 'This horse is a tough as old boots. He is a very sound and a lucky horse for us. That's my 114th winner of the season, which beats last season's total by one.'
Tony Dobbin has a fine record on the winner and he commented, 'We were always going to win after jumping the last. I have won on him eight times now and we also won the big four-year-old hurdle here with him last year.'
Edward O'Grady, trainer of the unsuccessful favourite, added, 'The race the other day probably took the edge off him'.
Followers of the O'Grady horses suffered a further setback when Pizzaro was well beaten in the 2m4f Champion novice hurdle. His supporters knew their fate before the second last hurdle as Nobody Told Me quickened clear off the home turn to win in grand style.
Pizzaro could only finish a poor fourth behind the rapidly improving filly, the only one of her sex in the Grade 1 contest.
Winning trainer Willie Mullins said, 'It was a gamble running her in a Grade 1 but every drop of rain that fell last night was of benefit to her.'
Nobody Told Me came home a five-length winner from Jack High who was a first runner for Timothy Rock, son of the hugely popular Willie Rock who died on Easter Saturday.
Mullins helped himself to a second winner when Kim Fontaine struck for Jamie Codd in the bumper. The 6/1 chance prevailed in a tight finish, narrowly seeing off favourite Selby Road and promising newcomer Afistfullofdollars.
A thrilling finish to the Bishopscourt Cup saw the Gerry Cusack-trained Ever Onward edge out favourite Polaris Flame by the minimum margin under John Thomas McNamara.
The pair had the race between them from the third last fence and drew 25l clear of the third horse home, Firaalla.
Incas became Arthur Moore's first winner of the week when comfortably landing the 2m handicap chase. A relatively unconsidered 16/1 chance, the winner paid almost double that on the Tote.
Paul Nolan saddled Torduff Boy to win the 2m4f handicap chase under Barry Geraghty for the second successive year. Fifth in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse last time, Torduff Boy beat Michael Mor by three quarters of a length at odds of 6/1.
Christy Roche's Allofasudden, off the track since September 2001, did not go unbacked when making a triumphant return in the 3m-handicap hurdle.
Everytime the bookmakers put 14/1against his name it was taken, but once again Tote patrons hammered the SP with a return of e27.40.
The Roche-winner resulted in a Jackpot pool rollover of e47,302 to the course tomorrow.
