Adela Icon makes her mark on hurdle debut Willie Mullins' Adela Icon overturned the favourite Whimsy in Division 1 of the extended two-mile maiden hurdle at Punchestown. The race soon boiled down to the a match between the pair as they disputed throughout and held a healthy advantage over Paul Collins rounding the home bend. There was precious little between the pair over two out, but Whimsy soon came under a drive from Oakley Brown. Adela Icon led narrowly racing to the last, but Whimsy was stoked up to shade it over the final flight. They touched down for a battle and Adela Icon found most in the closing stages for Brian Hayes to regain the lead. She toughed it out by half a length at 9/2 from the 5/4 favourite. Paul Collins finished a remote third at 3/1. This was Adela Icon's hurdle debut and she sported a first-time hood. Aubrey McMahon of Temple Bloodstock said: “We liked her at home and fancied her at Cork, but she was just too keen so we said we’d put a hood on her today and go jumping. “That’s more like what she was showing at home. She’s going to be a lot better on drier ground. “We bought her to run last summer, but missed the summer - we were a bit late starting her. “It was the time of year it was and we said we wouldn’t delay with her. If the ground was too soft for her, so be it, and she’d be fit come spring. “Brian said she didn’t enjoy the ground and I think it shows how much heart she has to get it done anyway. “She’ll hopefully win plenty of races this summer for us. It won’t be too long before the ground will be drying out. “I was just hoping she’d win a maiden and then we’d see where we go from that. She’s going to be a stone better on drier ground.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson
