Cask Mate continues a remarkable return from longterm injury and was a taking winner of the Bet 10 Get 10 BETDAQ Rated Novice Hurdle at Punchestown today, scoring for his in-form trainer Noel Meade and jockey Sean Flanagan.

The son of Kalanisi returned from a near-three year absence to easily win his maiden hurdle at Limerick on October 11 and today followed up in similar fashion when beating Dewcup by 10 lengths.

Afterwards Meade stated “I wasn't sure if he'd get 2m4f but he (Flanagan) said he'd get another half (mile). I told him to wait but he said he just took him there easily.

“The reason I ran him at 2m4f was I thought there wasn't another Rated race for a while and I didn't want to run him in a Graded race but he'll be a Graded horse now.

“It is such a pity for the people who own him (High Spirits Racing Club) who have been with me years and used to work in the (Slane) Distillery. They love racing so much it is a pity they are not here to see it.”

“He was a good horse before he got a touch of a leg and we tried a treatment on him which didn't work and then we fired him; that is why he was off for two seasons.”