Benie Des Dieux makes amends for festival fall with Mares Champion Hurdle strike

Benie Des Dieux made amends for her final-flight fall at the Cheltenham Festival with a straightforward success in the Annie Power Mares Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

She led home a 1-2-3 for trainer Willie Mullins, who has dominated the race since it was upgraded to Grade 1 level in 2013, having won six of the seven runnings.

For a period after two out it looked as if Benie Des Dieux, who was sent off the 2-5 favourite, was going to struggle to repeat her win in the race 12 months ago.

She had to be urged by Paul Townend to get the measure of the front-running Stormy Island, but she comfortably put the race to bed after the last hurdle and forged clear for a nine-and-a-half-length win.

Mullins said: "I was worried there for a minute and Paul told me the mare wasn't relishing the drying ground and didn't want to get down and gallop. But she got the job done and won well in the end.

"The Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil [French Champion Hurdle] is coming up sooner than usual this year. It's in two weeks' time and, while we'd like to run her as she's had a very light season, we'll have to see how she comes out of today's race."

Benie Des Dieux is unbeaten over fences having won three chases for Mullins, before landing the OLBG Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham last year.

Asked about a possible return to fences for Rich and Susannah Ricci's eight-year-old, Mullins said: "There's more prize-money to be won over hurdles and if she is to go back chasing next season we'd have to have real winter ground."

She was given a quote of 6-4 for next year's Grade 1 Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Of runner-up Stormy Ireland, Mullins said: "She's only small but she is very brave. We might send her to France for the Prix La Barka."

Good Thyne Tara, 15 lengths back in third, completed the Mullins 1-2-3, with British raider With Discretion 20 lengths back and last of the four finishers.

Benie Des Dieux became the second dual winner of the race following Annie Power, who was successful in 2014 and 2015.

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