Three By Two reaped the rewards of patient tactics after he ran out the 8/1 winner of the Ladies Cup on day one of the Punchestown Festival.
Subset and the reigning champion Vital Island took each other on racing into the final half-mile up front, as all the while Tiernan Power stalked the pair in behind.
Off the elbow Vital Island had fended off Subset in their own private battle, but approaching the final fence it was Three By Two who emerged as a new rival for Richard O’Keeffe’s charge.
Although the pair jumped the last together, it was Three By Two who picked up best on the run-in to prevail by three lengths for Wexford handler Denis Murphy and owner Denis Murphy.
Subset outran his 50/1 starting price by completing in third with De Nordener going one place better than his fifth in last year’s renewal by finishing a further three and three quarter lengths back in fourth.
The daughter of Yeats had run for Henry de Bromhead, Peter McCreery, Alan McIntyre and Roger Loughran before she left all her previous form behind her when dead-heating in an adjacent maiden at Borris House in March on his stable debut.
Great scenes! @punchestownrace pic.twitter.com/PacSBSv9Ue
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 25, 2023
“It was pretty straight forward. She hasn’t any experience over the banks but she was well schooled, anything that comes from Denis’ yard is always well schooled,” Power said.
“I stayed as close as I could to Benny Walsh and Vital Island as once you are close to them in a bank race you are never too far wrong.”
“I fancied her, she had some good runs in point-to-points and won in Borris. She is in again on Saturday and I presume we will see her again.”
“Bernadette [Murphy, sister] had done a lot of schooling since her last point-to-point, they either take to them or they don’t and she did,” Murphy said.
“It was a clever bit of riding, following the favourite and best rider over the banks. We did quierly fancy her and getting all the weight is a big plus.
“Touch wood if she is alright she will run again on Saturday.”
Three By Two gets up in the opening race over the banks this week!
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 25, 2023
It's an exciting finish to the Kildare Hunt Club Cross Country Chase for the Ladies Perpetual Cup, with jockey Tiernan Power Roche and trainer Denis Murphy the victors at @punchestownrace pic.twitter.com/KBjr1r4PGi
