Pont Alexandre puts in a terrific leap at Punchestown© Photo Healy Racing
"He's a horse with unbelievable potential," a delighted Ruby Walsh said after Pont Alexandre returned from almost 1,000 days off the track with a sparkling display in the beginners' chase at Punchestown.
When last seen, he was beaten into third in the Grade One Neptune at Cheltenham in March 2013 by The New One and Rule The World.
Prior to that he had run up a sequence of three successes, including at Grade One level in Navan.
He was sent into the lead by Ruby Walsh before the first fence in this two mile six race and put in a great jumping performance.
The 4/6 favourite was challenged by Balbir Du Mathan (11/4) before the fourth last but readily asserted after the penultimate obstacle when asked the question by Walsh. He saw the race out well from the last to hit the line eight and a half lengths up on Balbir Du Mathan. Montys Meadow (14/1) was a further four lengths away in third.
Ruby Walsh said: "Fair play to David Porter who rides him out and looks after him. I think a lot of credit goes to him. I honestly thought when he came back in in July, and looking at him, we would never see him on a racecourse. 10 out of 10 to David Porter, he has done unbelievable work with this horse.
"David Porter and Patrick (Mullins) did the schooling on him. I sat on him once to do a bit of work on him. He was always a horse with a serious engine and he jumped brilliantly. He stays forever. He's a gorgeous big horse. Fingers crossed now we can keep the wheels under him. Keeping him right will be the big thing."
Willie Mullins said: “He was very good coming off that long lay-off and it’s all about keeping him right. He’s had his troubles and hopefully we can just keep him together. I don’t know if he will run at Christmas, it depends on how he comes out of this.
“He jumped from fence to fence and quickened when he was asked. He did everything right. We held him up one day in Cheltenham and we won’t do that again. He’s a galloper and when there wasn’t any pace Ruby let him go on.
“He will go up in trip and not down from this. I am already under pressure from home (son Patrick) to go for the four-mile race. The sort of ability he has you would say at this stage he will be aimed at the RSA. I think he wants better ground and it would be no bother to him.
“The whole thing now is to keep him right and keep four legs on him.”
This brought up a treble for Mullins and Walsh with the other victories secured by Yorkhill and Djakadam
Pont Alexandre is now 14/1 from 33/1 with Paddy Power for the RSA Chase. BoyleSports introduced him at 20/1 for the same race.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
