Bambino Fever continues at Punchestown Bambino Fever maintained her unbeaten record, as she made it five wins from five career starts in the Grade 1 Race & Stay At Punchestown Champion INH Flat Race. The winner of a point-to-point when in the care of Nicky Stokes, the Jukebox Jury chestnut then joined Willie Mullins and after striking at the Dublin Racing Festival in February, she followed up in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham. Expected to continue winning ways this afternoon, the O'Connell Morgan Syndicate-owned five-year-old was sent off the 11/8 favourite. Racing in third on the outer under Jody Townend, the market leader edged to the front with less than two-furlongs to go and while briefly tackled by Switch From Diesel (11/2), she was ridden clear of that rival in the closing stages and was two-and-a-quarter lengths to the good at the line. The Ross O'Sullivan-trained runner-up lost little in defeat under Ray Barron, with Colcannon (11/4) another six-lengths away in third. "She looks like a very good filly," Mullins, who was completing a treble, reflected. "It wasn't as fast a race as we thought it was going to be and she was still able to quicken off it. She’s got gears as well. "I thought it would be very hard to take Jody off after what she has done all year on her. "That'll be it now and we'll look forward to next season, going jumping. "She’s a tough strong filly. Even if she doesn’t do anything else she’s done enough now anyway but I’m really looking forward to going jumping, the way she is bred." Townend added: "You can ride her anyway you want. I suppose the good ones get you out of trouble. "I was pushed into it way too early with the ones that were coming from behind, I ended up there too soon and I was trying to get her back but I couldn't. "She gives her all, she galloped the whole way to the line. "She was left on her own in third and as I said, they were pushing me the whole way. I never got a breather into her, even turning down around five furlongs out, she kind of dropped it, but she only dropped it for a stride or two. I was trying to get a breather into her there but I couldn't. "Once you give her a squeeze, she just changes gear and it's off with her. "She is as tough as they come. She turned up at Leopardstown, Cheltenham and to come on to Punchestown and to show up everyday. "In fairness to the lads that own her, they are very good to me, they stick by me and they struck gold with this one anyway. "It's the first horse they've had in training and they'll struggle to find another one like her." STEWARDS REPORT Mr H.C. Swan, rider of Kalypso'chance (FR), trained by Gordon Elliott, reported to the Clerk of the Scales that his mount hung badly right turning in. Additional reporting by Gary Carson
