Bumper winner completes a brace for Brassil Martin Brassil completed a first and last race double at Punchestown when It's Only A Game justified 11/8 favouritism in the Jimmy Hayes Memorial (Pro/Am) Flat Race. Runner-up on his debut at the festival meeting here in May and fitted with a tongue-tie on this occasion, the French-bred four-year-old was patiently ridden by John Gleeson in a slowly-run affair. The winner made headway on the inner early in the home straight and squeezed through a gap on the rail over a furlong out before quickening up well to beat Boycetown by three and a half lengths. Declan Lavery, who rode the runner-up, received a three-day suspension for careless riding after being involved in the incident where the winner was short of room. Brassil, successful with Desertmore House in the cross-country chase earlier in the day, said: “He was showing a nice bit of promise in the spring and we targeted this meeting as Sean and Bernardine (Mulryan) like to have runners here.  “It got tight on the inside and I didn’t know whether I’d be saying well done or what are you doing?! “He’s a very nice horse.”  Reflecting on Fastorslow's remote third in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase, Brassil added: “I’m thrilled with him. He never ran on that ground before and hadn’t the same spring over some of the fences.  “He’s a three-mile horse and they went a two-mile pace. I loved what he did from the last to the line.  “He galloped away well and he’d be better suited by nicer ground. Overall, I’m very happy with him. “We’ll see how he comes out of this and he’ll be entered at Kempton and Leopardstown.”  Additional reporting by Alan Magee
