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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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- Clonmel Cooper double at over 28/1
Clonmel Cooper double at over 28/1
Deal Done goes on from Gates Of Rome (bad mistake) at the last fence in Clonmel
© Photo Healy Racing
An initial quote of 11/2 about Deal Done evaporated into a starting price of 9/4 and Dessie Hughes' charge prevailed in the Wilderness Chase to credit his pilot Bryan Cooper with a double (following the earlier win of Chu Chu Thomas at Clonmel.
Dessie Hughes' charge, without a win since March 2010, made all in this two miler and his task was eased by the challenging Gates Of Rome s bad last fence mistake. That left easy to back favourite Sin Palo to come through for the second spot, two and a half lengths adrift.
Hughes was relieved in the aftermath, saying: "At last! He's been struggling to win. He's a good ground horse – that's the secret to him. Today is the best ground he's got for a while.
"We had him over in Cheltenham recently but he missed the cut by one to get in. We had him brought over there for decent ground.
"We'll keep him going in those kind of races and Bryan rode him well there. He got every fence right and he has a great eye for a stride."
Deal Done carries the famous Mrs Tony Durkan silks, carried to success in County Tipperary as well recently, in the point-to-point fields at Cregg by the 'Shark' Hanlon handled Coolking. (TW & EM)