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Tuesday’s first race at Punchestown saw a little bit of history as the 300-1 winner Sawbuck matched the record for being the biggest priced winner in the history of Irish racing.
The Conor O’Dwyer-trained winner belied his odds and won a maiden hurdle by four lengths from the JP McManus owned 4-1 shot Ballybawn Belter. Vocito, the 100-30 favourite, was third.
Sawbuck’s ‘SP’ matched He Knows No Fear’s shock victory at Leopardstown two years ago when becoming the longest-priced winner in Ireland and Britain since records began.
The trainer’s son Charlie, 19, did the steering on Sawbuck and reported: “He’s been in great form at home and, after his last two runs over hurdles, I came here thinking if he could finish somewhere in the middle I would have been delighted.
“The minute the flag dropped he travelled great and I couldn’t fault him anywhere. He got a bit close to the last but he’s done it fairly handily enough.
“He likes that ground and is Flat bred and has run in Dundalk. The ground isn’t a problem for him.”
Sawbuck had never been placed in half a dozen previous races, two over hurdles and four on the Flat.
In other news, a step up past a mile for the first time in her career could be on the cards for Mother Earth in Paris this Sunday.
Aidan O’Brien’s stalwart filly, winner of last year’s 1,000 Guineas, is one of 18 entries remaining in the €250,000 Group One Prix D’Ispahan at Longchamp.
Run over an extended nine furlongs, the D’Ispahan also has other potential Irish interest in Noel Meade’s Helvic Dream and Joseph O’Brien’s Patrick Sarsfield.
Mother Earth, who was out of the money behind Baaeed in the Lockinge earlier this month, has never raced beyond a mile in her 20-race career to date.
She was also successful at the top level in France last year in the Prix Rothchild at Deauville.
Sunday’s other Group One prize at Longchamp is the Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary with Joseph O’Brien’s pair Above The Curve and Seisai featuring among nine fillies left in at Tuesday’s acceptance stage.
Wednesday’s Irish action is at Wexford where Monday’s Roscommon Flat winner Final Endeavour will try to complete a quick cross-code double in the handicap hurdle.
Hurricane Georgie’s chase form also makes her hurdles mark of 102 look lenient in another handicap.