Le Grand Vert enjoys conditions at rain-hit Punchestown Punchestown's three-mile handicap chase was run at a good gallop and turned into a searching test of stamina on rain-softened ground. That was never going to bother Le Grand Vert who has a couple of three-mile wins on soft ground at Ayr to his name and the 18/1 chance came from off the pace to score under Carl Millar. Moving into third on the turn for home, the French-bred 10-year-old, owned by the All Play & No Work Syndicate, went second on the approach to the last where the leader Pourquoi Pas made a mistake. In front early on the run-in, Le Grand Vert went away to score by two and three-quarter lengths from the staying-on A Year Older.   “He had been running well," said winning trainer Noel Kelly.  "He was fourth last time when the wee girl in the yard (Erin Dunseath) rode him and he ran a fair race for her. “He probably just needs a staying track and the rain today, and the softer ground, suited him. “He’s not fast and he’s probably not that genuine. but on slow ground when somebody takes him on, he can plug away. “I told Carl to ride him as he finds him. He jumped well, I thought he made a couple of slight mistakes watching on TV but he said he jumped brilliantly. “I told him to sit quiet, keep filling him up, and see how he goes. “We bought him out of a claimer and he’s won three for us so we can’t complain. If every horse did that, you’d be okay.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson
