French Dynamite Shines at Punchestown

French Dynamite demonstrated exceptional jumping skills, securing victory in the BetVictor Chase at Punchestown. The nine-year-old, trained by Mouse Morris, had previously finished second in the Grade Two PWC Champion Chase at Gowran just 11 days prior. His fitness was evident as he triumphed over Minella Indo by two and a quarter lengths at odds of 7-2, while Hewick claimed third place.

The race took a turn for the favourite, Conflated, who fell after the first fence, leaving French Dynamite and Minella Indo to lead early on. French Dynamite maintained a slim advantage going over the last jump and steadily pulled away from Minella Indo in the final stretch, finishing comfortably under jockey Mark Walsh. Hewick, unable to make up ground, crossed the line four and a half lengths behind in third.

Morris commented on the performance, noting, “The horses seem to be back in form. The fact that he’s fit played a significant role. We’ll evaluate his condition moving forward, as he has potential for further races. He may not handle very soft ground, but I believe he’ll manage on soft.”

In another highlight of the day, Jordans secured his first victory under Joseph O’Brien’s training in the BetVictor Novice Chase. After a strong start from Air Drop, he took the lead at the final fence and held off a challenge from Monbeg Park, with Richard Deegan remarking on Jordans’ promising future.