Banbridge got up in the final stride to deny Captain Guinness a Champion Chase double in a pulsating renewal of the feature event on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival.
Nine runners went to post for the William Hill Champion Chase, with Mares’ Chase runner-up Dinoblue the 11/10 favourite to beat the boys and provide Willie Mullins with a sixth successive victory in this extended two-mile contest.
Henry de Bromhead’s Captain Guinness was bidding to follow up victory in the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on his most recent outing and looked likely to do so after taking over from the pacesetting Dysart Dynamo at the top of the home straight under Rachael Blackmore.
Mark Walsh was more vigorous in the saddle in behind aboard Dinoblue and while she did respond to pressure to close in on Captain Guinness at the final fence, she was unable to get on terms.
However, Captain Guinness was then reeled in by Joseph O’Brien’s fast-finishing 6/1 shot Banbridge on the run-in.
The eight-year-old, who had disappointed in a soft-ground Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, was sporting cheek pieces for the first time over this shorter trip and needed every yard of it to secure top honours by a neck in the hands of JJ Slevin, with Dinoblue a further length-and-a-quarter away in third.
“It was a fantastic race, a great two-mile chase, and a fantastic ride from JJ. I’m delighted for Ronnie [Bartlett, owner] and everyone to have a big winner here in Punchestown,” said O’Brien.
“It wasn’t our day in Cheltenham but we’re delighted to win a big race here today. He’s been a fantastic horse and Ronnie’s patience through the autumn when the ground wasn’t right for us was really what won the race for us today. We were ready to run and had to wait.
“We know what conditions the horse performs on, it’s pretty obvious when you look at all his runs. On better ground, his runs are all very good – and when it gets softer, for whatever reason, he doesn’t perform as well.
“We took the chance at Cheltenham because it’s Cheltenham, but it didn’t work out. We freshened him up to come here and I’m delighted to win a big race with him.”
Bartlett added: “He’s a great horse, it was a great race and he was trained to perfection. It’s going to be a quiet night tonight, early to bed!
“Two or three out, you were thinking he’d maybe be placed, but he showed some turn of foot over the last.”
Mystical Power finished with a flourish to reverse Cheltenham Festival form with Slade Steel in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle.
Henry de Bromhead’s Slade Steel had proved too strong for the Willie Mullins-trained Mystical Power in the latter stages of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in mid-March, since when the latter had gone one better in Grade One company at Aintree.
There was little to choose between the pair in the betting for the rematch on home soil, but Mystical Power was the narrow favourite at 2/1 and ultimately took his revenge.
The extended two-mile contest was run at a strong gallop from flag-fall thanks to the Danny Mullins-ridden Ile Atlantique, but the race changed complexion quickly racing down the back straight, as both he and nearest pursuer Tullyhill back-peddled rapidly.
Slade Steel arrived on the scene seemingly travelling best rounding the final bend, but he found disappointingly little for Rachael Blackmore once coming under pressure, whereas Mystical Power – a son of Galileo out of the great racemare Annie Power – powered home from further back in the hands of Mark Walsh to score by a length-and-three-quarters.
Firefox, third in the Supreme and runner-up to Mystical Power at Aintree, ran another fine race in defeat to split the market principals.
“He showed resilience and toughness today, he’s been improving all season,” Mullins said of the winner.
“I didn’t think we had much chance at the second-last and Mark said he was going as fast as he could coming around the last bend.
“The race turned into a staying race, with the other two protagonists playing their cards going to the last, they were flat out and he just outstayed them with a good jump at the last.
“It’s fantastic that he’s progressed as the season has gone on and I think Annie Power is coming out in him.”
