The two and three quarter mile Ten Weeks To Punchestown Festival Mares Maiden Hurdle understandably took some getting, and four time point-to-point winner Fort Worth Texas was best equipped to cope in Punchestown’s fifth event.

She’s a nice one for owner Leo McArdle to have, as here she was supplementing previous racecourse gains, in a mares point-to-point bumper at Tipperary in May.

Fellow County Wexford-trained mare Tucanae wasn’t always fluent with her jumping, that pace-setter ending up ten lengths off Fort Worth Texas in second place. Miss Pernickety was all of twenty three lengths back in third.

Mark Walsh rode Fort Worth Texas for Colin Bowe and the Kildare jockey said: “I’m not sure how much of a race it was but she won four point-to-points and a bumper and was entitled to do that.

“It’s good to see her winning her maiden and she stays well.”

C.D. Maxwell, rider of Ballela To Moscow trained by J.G.Cosgrave, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount stopped very quickly.

(AM & EM)