Mtada Supreme and Benny Walsh land over the 5th last fence to win for trainer Peter Maher© Photo Healy Racing
Mtada Supreme (10/1) came out on top after a tremendous conclusion to the Donohue Marquees Risk Of Thunder Chase, the opener at Punchestown.
One of his local point-to-points, Lingstown, takes place today, but Benny Walsh was at the home of Irish National Hunt racing for the spin on the Breda Beattie-owned and Peter Maher-trained Mtada Supreme.
At the end of three miles around the cross-country course just a nose split them, with Mtada Supreme fending off two to one on favourite Josies Orders
Enda Bolger, trainer of Josies Orders, also had the fourth home, My Hometown (owned by J P McManus too).
Winning handler Maher also supplied the fifth placed Enniskillen
Indeed he also had the 6th, Black Benny 8th, Lighting Tunes and 9th, Tom Horn
“He's a grand horse. My friend Michael Bates got him for me. He got me him and Ballyboker Bridge,” said Maher.
“I wouldn't have bought the horse but only Benny was at the sales and said 'chance that lad'.
“I liked the man that owned him so I bought him. Trevor Beattie hadn't many winners for a good few years and I said 'take that lad and he'll win you a few races.
“He never stopped winning for him and for two-and-a-half grand he was a cheap horse. He doesn't have to do anything again.
“He would have won the La Touche if he hadn't run out as he was cantering. There isn't really a plan for him now and we might just put him away until the festival.
“We ran him in Cheltenham and he finished seventh (December 2015). He has palate issues and you have to give him a couple of runs. He wasn't fit the day he went to Cheltenham.
“He's not a very good horse but he's a staying jumping horse. You need to have him really well tuned for it. With the hill at Cheltenham he fizzled out.
“We were thinking about bringing him back to Cheltenham but it's early days yet and we'll enjoy this one.”
(GC & EM)
