Six winners in two days for Mark Walsh and JP McManus as Ciel De Neige impresses

Sunday: Punchestown

Punchestown was painted green and gold on Sunday, just as Naas was on Saturday, as JP McManus and Mark Walsh helped themselves to a treble for the second day in a row.

Brazil, Goven and Elimay scored at Naas on Saturday by a combined winning distance of 26 and a half lengths, but Walsh had to work much harder to secure this particular hat-trick and he was particularly good on Midnight Maestro in the PP Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase and Slip Of The Tongue in the 2m Listed novice hurdle.

Slip Of The Tongue had bumped into the smart pair Saint Felicien and Teahupoo on his previous two outings but was certainly not disgraced on either occasion, and here he survived a scare at the last to gun down Deploy The Getaway.

The winning margin was three-quarters of a length and it was just as well it was, as Slip Of The Tongue had to survive a stewards' inquiry after interfering with the runner-up at the back of the last.

Winning trainer Padraig Roche said: "He's a lovely horse and it'll keep the father [Christy] happy as he's a homebred. He's one we've always liked and he's learning all the time. I haven't discussed plans yet but I'd say we'll keep him at home and he won't be going to Cheltenham."

Slip Of The Tongue might not be going to the festival next month, but the Enda Bolger-trained Midnight Maestro and Shady Operator, the first two home in the opener, most certainly are.

Paddy Power cut Midnight Maestro to 8-1 (from 20) for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase.

Bolger said: "We'll give them an entry for the Cheltenham race now. Whether they'll be good enough I don't know, but we'll see. At least they stay well."

On Prengarde, Bolger's main contender for the festival event, the trainer added: "He's good. We're only just getting to know him. We're trying to think of somewhere we can get a race into him as he hasn't run since November. He's only six and whether he'll get there, I don't know. We're taking it day by day with him."

The middle leg of the Walsh-McManus treble was straightforward as Ciel De Neige made it three from three over fences in the 2m rated novice chase.

Ciel De Neige (Mark Walsh) wins the 2m rated novice chaseCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

He is now just 10-1 (from 33) for the Arkle with Paddy Power, but there is also the option of running in a handicap like the Grand Annual, for which the same firm make him one of their 7-1 co-favourites.

Trainer Willie Mullins said: "I'm very happy with the way he did that, he enjoys things more over fences. He'll be entered in a couple of races at Cheltenham, maybe including a handicap. We'll have a look at options after this and chat to connections to see where he fits in."

Gate opens with ease

There seems an endless supply of potential stars at Closutton and James's Gate added his name to the list with a bloodless win on his debut in the bumper, earning him a 12-1 quote for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper from bet365, William Hill and BoyleSports.

Mullins said: "He's a tremendous addition to Sean and Bernardine Mulryan's group of horses. This fella was bought on Pat Doyle's recommendation. He looks as good as Pat thinks he is.

"I'd imagine he'll go to the bumper at Cheltenham and then we'll be looking forward to coming back here for the festival bumper."

'Non-trier' ban for newcomer

Saddle Her Up, a 66-1 newcomer in the 2m4f maiden hurdle, was deemed a 'non-trier' by the stewards, who found trainer Barry Fitzgerald and rider Kieran Callaghan in breach of rule 212.

The four-year-old was beaten more than 60 lengths into ninth and the stewards said she was "not seen to have been the subject of a genuine attempt to achieve a best possible placing".

They suspended Callaghan for ten days and fined Fitzgerald €2,000, while the filly has been banned from running for 42 days.

Results, replays and analysis

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