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Punchestown 2024
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Cowboy grabs glory late on
Naked Cowboy a cosy winner in the end
© Photo Healy Racing
Naked Cowboy was produced with a perfectly timed run by Shane Foley to land the first division of the Kilkenny Handicap at Gowran Park.
Well-backed favourite Legendary Times (5/1 in morning into 2/1) looked set for victory when hitting the front a furlong-and-a-half out.
Naked Cowboy came with a powerful surge inside the final furlong, however, to get to the front where it mattered.
Foley could even afford to ease down in the shadow of the post as his mount recorded a cosy length-and-a-quarter success.
The 9/2 winner had already been busy this year at Dundalk, the best of those efforts a runner-up spot back in January.
"Johnny Murtagh said the last day to ride him like you don't care!" revealed trainer Tony Mullins afterwards.
"He gets a bit uptight and the main thing is to relax him. He works like a lot better horse than he runs.
"Hopefully he's coming to himself now and he'll go for a similar race. I don't think he minds firm ground so the ground shouldn't be an issue for him."
(GC & AM)