Uncle Pat off the mark over fences under well judged Townend ride A maiden over fences prior to the race, the Willie Mullins trained Uncle Pat registered a first success over the larger obstacles when easily winning the DAR Golf Handicap Chase at Punchestown. Leading four out under Paul Townend, the 7/2jf was brought very wide into the straight, with only stablemate Fishery Lane taking a similar route. Asserting from two out, Townend's bold move paid off handsomely as the Patrick Corbett, Michael Corbett, J J Corbett and W Clancyowned gelding coasted home to an impressive 15 win over Fishery Lane. Willie Mullins wasn't present due to a sore back and, David Casey reported: "Uncle Pat had been running consistently well and was good today. He had run well in the National Trial, and in a maiden hurdle, here and obviously likes the place. He ran well in the Ulster National recently and those extended trips suit him really well and he also likes good ground. "The lads have said that the middle of the course is more watered, so going either on the inside or outside was the place to be. The fresher ground is on the outside although Paul (Townend) said he was flat out in the early part of the race but stayed going at the pace he was comfortable at. "A lot of horses don't stay those extended trips but our two (Uncle Pat and runner-up Fishery Lane) do. Today was the grand plan, as was the Ulster Nation and the National Trial!" Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes.
