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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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- Review galway 1st Aug
Review galway 1st Aug
Artful Artist (Sean Corby, nearside) comes through to beat Show Court with Cliff House in behind
© Photo Healy Racing
Tony Martin has enjoyed a terrific Galway Festival and the County Meath handler added another feature race to his tally when Artful Artist took the valuable Guinness Handicap.
Already successful with Thomas Edison in the Galway Hurdle as well as Quick Jack and Greatness, Martin was hoping for better from Artful Artist after he disappointed in a handicap hurdle on Monday.
Sure enough, the five-year-old (8-1) produced the goods, finding a nice turn of foot in the closing stages for Sean Corby to collar the favourite Show Court after Dermot Weld's runner had looked all over the winner. There was a length and a half in it at the line.
Weld took his own tally for the meeting to seven with a double begun when 8-11 favourite Massinga readily disposed of the opposition in the Guinness EBF Maiden, quickly opening up a lead off the final bend under Pat Smullen and readily holding Awesome Star by three lengths.
Punchestown bumper winner Forgotten Rules (9-10 favourite) then took the step up to the Guinness Race in his impressive stride with an eyecatching victory, storming clear of the useful Shu Lewis to score by eight lengths.
Fran Berry and David Wachman teamed up to take the Guinness 17:59 EBF Median Auction Maiden with Hidden Oasis in the JP McManus colours last season and repeated the trick with full-brother Fit For The Job (11-8 favourite), who cleared away to win by three lengths.
The Harry Rogers-trained Botanical Lady (9-2 favourite) ran second on Monday and stepped up to take the Arthur Guinness Handicap, charging to the front from the start and staying there to win by three and three-quarter lengths under Leigh Roche.
Noel Meade and the Gigginstown House Stud celebrated a huge victory in the Plate with Road To Riches and they struck again when Maxim Gorky (12-1) was delivered with a late thrust by Paul Townend to take the Guinness Handicap Hurdle by half a length.
Townend was back in the winner's enclosure after the Guinness Galway Blazers Handicap Chase, the Stephen Mahon-trained Aranhill Chief (7-1) de