Meade and Flanagan land Punchestown opener

Castletown trainer Noel Meade and jockey Sean Flanagan were back in the winners' enclosure after the first race at Punchestown today with the Gigginstown-owned Daly Tiger.

Gigginstown runners finished 1-2-3 in the opening maiden hurdle at the Kildare track on a day when Michael O'Leary's colours were the dominant shade with Daly Tiger eclipsing Alighted and Acronym.

“Sean (Flanagan) said he jumped well and picked up well, hopefully he can go on now from this and go somewhere decent," commented the trainer.

“It wasn’t the plan to make the running but it worked out well around that track as it’s quite tight.”

Third in the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham last March, the Gigginstown-owned Mengli Khan made a winning debut over freces at Punchestown today for trainer Gordon Elliott who completed a double on the day when the Gigginstown-owned Battleoverdoyen won the bumper with Lisa O'Neill on board.

Purchased for £235,000 at Cheltenham Horses In Training Sale last year, this was a first outing since then for the now five-year-old.
"He’s only a baby and we might go for that 2m3f bumper in Naas, he’s not a horse that we’re going to do too much with this year," stated Elliot.

Gigginstown also had a fourth winner when the Henry De Bromhead-trained Judgement Day won a novice chase