O´Neill looks forward after Cherub success

Hours after signing up champion rider Tony McCoy as stable jockey, Jonjo O´Neill celebrated a Grade 1 success yesterday on the third day of the Irish National Hunt Festival when Cherub took the Colm McEvoy Auctioneers Champion 4YO Hurdle in a photo from Made In Japan.

The winner was still a maiden before today´s race although had finished an excellent fourth to Made In Japan in the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

'He ran a nice race first time at Kempton, then looked like he´d win at Sandown when Tusk beat him before running well at Cheltenham,' said O´Neill.

'He let us down a little bit last time at Aintree, where a couple of mine ran a bit below par and he didn´t scope 100 per cent clear afterwards. He was in great form afterwards and the plan was to come here. He´s also still a novice for us (in Britain) next season.'

The trainer is delighted to have secured McCoy´s services and said: 'It´s great to have first call on Tony and it´s all systems go,' added O´Neill. 'He´s the magic man to have on your side, he´s mad keen, a great man for work and loves a challenge. I´m thrilled to bits to have him. Of course I´d love to be champion trainer, it´s a matter of if we could ever get there - we just need more winners.'

Enda Bolger´s remarkable record in the Quinns Of Baltinglass Chase for the La Touche Cup continued when J P McManus´s Spot Thedifference led home a 1-2 from Shady Lad for the stable in the famous 4m 2f contest over Punchestown´s unique banks course.

It was a seventh successive victory for the trainer, who saddled Buailtes And Fadas to score last year and Risk Of Thunder to take the previous five renewals.

'That was a great spectacle and much better to have five in with a chance than one coming home clear,' said Bolger. 'It´s great for Spot Thedifference because he has not won for three or four years and he ran a great race at Aintree. I was happy to see the ground dry out for him. 'There is a banks race at next year´s Cheltenham Festival and I´m sure J P would like to have a look at that.'

The judge called a dead-heat in the opening Jondol Furniture Handicap Hurdle in which Boleyknowsbest, trained by former jockey Robbie Burns, and Kelly´s Craft, trained by Willie Mullins, shared the honours.