Forge Meadow and Robbie Power in charge© Photo Healy Racing
Forge Meadow enjoyed an all-the-way success in the Listed mares' hurdle at Punchestown in a race in which Ruby Walsh sustained a suspected broken leg.
Walsh was on board the classy Let's Dance who went off 4/9 favourite on her seasonal reappearance. She tracked Forge Meadow in second but fell at the fourth-last hurdle.
Forge Meadow and Robbie Power kept up the gallop over this two and a quarter mile trip to win by seven and a half lengths at 12/1. Dawn Shadow stayed on for second at 12/1 (from 33/1 in the morning and 16s on opening show) with Barra (7/2) dropping to third.
Forge Meadow's handler Jessica Harrington said: "That's great. All year she hasn't settled. We wanted to make the running the last time but we knew we probably couldn't.
“This time we said 'we're going to jump out and settle from the front'. She didn't jump as well in the first part of the race as she was looking around herself a good bit.
“When anything came to her Robbie said she picked up again, so she's back. She's a highly-strung mare and that's her problem.
“She'll go for the mares' race at Leopardstown now because she seems to stay all day.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
