PUNCHESTOWN (30 Apr 2004)

Good

5:55 Kildare Traders/Clairefontaine Racecourse (Pro-Am) Flat Race (Mares & Geldings) (4yo+)

[off 5:57] £8,272.54, £1,927.46, £850.00, £490.85 2m

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Major Vernon W P Mullins 5 11-10 Mr J J Codd(3) 6/1 — 120

2 2 Shiminnie J R H Fowler 5 10-8 Mr R H Fowler(7) 25/1 — 106

3 2 Captain Sunshine Noel Meade 6 11-11 N P Madden(3) 3/1F — 117

4 2 Malahide Marina (GB) W P Mullins 5 11-13 Mr J A Nash 9/2 — 114

5 2 The Fridge (GB) P R Webber 6 11-2 Mr T Greenall(5) 10/1 — 106

6 2 Purple Shuffle Jeremiah John O´Neill 6 11-0 Mr J M Barcoe(7) 16/1 — 104

7 5 Good Cents T M Walsh 6 11-0 Ms K Walsh(7) 25/1 — 99

8 ¾ Our Ben (GB) W P Mullins 5 11-13 Mr R Widger 12/1 — 104

9 1½ Handy Jack D T Hughes 5 11-1 Mr R Loughran(5) 33/1 — 96

10 4 Barrys Ark W Harney 6 11-0 Mr C J Sweeney(7) 25/1 — 93

11 ½ Move Yourself Peter Henley 7 11-0 Mr R P Quinlan(7) 14/1 — 92

12 2 Able Stalwart J E Mulhern 5 11-6 Mr J T McNamara 7/1 — 89

13 4½ Savitha Paul Nolan 4 10-8 R M Moran(7) 14/1 — 80

14 3½ Gifted Approach John E Kiely 5 11-5 Mr Derek O´Connor(3) 14/1 — 83

15 5 Whowouldyouask Michael Hourigan 4 10-6 Mr M J O´Hare(7) 33/1 — 69

16 2 Stanafoss Mrs John Harrington 5 11-13 Mr P Fahey 12/1 — 81

17 7 The Screamer Michael Hourigan 7 11-2 Miss L A Hourigan(7) 25/1 — 70

18 7 Fast And Fiery Ms Caroline Hutchinson 4 10-8 Ms C Hutchinson 33/1 — 48

19 25 Del Morino V T O´Brien 6 11-2 Mr A K Wyse 33/1 — 31

19 ran TIME 3m 43.90s TOTAL SP 147%

1st OWNER: B Doyle BRED: W Mooney TRAINER: W P Mullins

2nd OWNER: S P Tindall

3rd OWNER: Mrs J Hurley

TOTE WIN £8.20 PL £2.50, £12.90, £1.80, £1.30; Ex £1079.00; CSF £171.48

ANALYSIS: A similar story to last year with MAJOR VERNON, who finished out with the washing in the Cheltenham Festival Bumper, winning in good style for the same connections which won this same event with Kim Fontaine, who had also finished out of the money inthe Cheltenham race, last year.

Clearly travelling well as he moved into contention before the straight, the winner went to the front over 1f out and stayed on well. He will be an interesting contender in novice hurdles later in the year.

Shiminnie, third on her debut here and far from disgraced at Navan on her second start, produced another good effort here. After making her move on the inside over 3f out, she was switched to the outer on the final bend and stayed on without troubling the winner.

Captain Sunshine, a winner at Cork on his previous start, was unable to hold his place before the straight, but he stayed on again over the final two furlongs and was closing all the way to the line.

Malahide Marina, a stablemate of the winner, looked a possibility before the straight, but while he stayed on steadily he was never able to raise his game sufficiently to mount a serious challenge.

British raider The Fridge, placed on his two previous starts, bolth of them on easy ground, was in front into the straight but was collared well over one furlong out and was unable to quicken.