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Ted Walsh praises timing of Durkan Chase

Trainer Ted Walsh praised the changes to John Durkan Chase. Trainer Ted Walsh praised the changes to John Durkan Chase.
© Photo Healy Racing

Ted Walsh believes that a slight tweak in the timing of the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase (Grade 1) has added to it's appeal by making it a more attractive option to trainers.

The well known pundit said in a recent interview with Dave Keena: "Yeah, great horses have won the Durkan. All the great horses have won the Durkan. It was a great innovation there 20 or 25 years ago and it's a fitting name and it's going to be there for ever more.

"It's a lovely time of the year. They done a great job in bringing it back a week as well too. It gives everyone an extra week to Christmas. It was inclined to be a week later and there wasn't enough time for a lot of horses to maybe recover if they got a hardish race to run at Christmas.

Now it just fits in lovely."

About John O'Riordan
John has worked for the Press Association since 2022. He also writes a weekly column for The Irish Field and is a regular contributor to the Irish Racing Yearbook. He has previously written for the Racing Post, Irish Examiner and Irish Daily Mirror. He has been involved in racing for over three decades; having experience as a syndicate member, sole owner and breeder.