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Slattery's Grade 1 winner on course for Punchestown

Trainer Andy SlatteryTrainer Andy Slattery
© Healy Racing Photos

Trainer Andy Slattery reports his WillowWarm Gold Cup winner Fleur In The Park to be on course for another Grade 1 race, as he bids to follow up his Fairyhouse festival success at Punchestown.

Slattery, who sold subsequent Champion Hurdle winner Faugheen after an initial point-to-point success, registered a first top-level success of his own on Easter Sunday, as the Cian Quirke-partnered, Margaret O’Rourke-owned Fleur In The Park defeated a pair of Willie Mullins-trained horses into second and third places.

Regarding seven-year-old Fleur In The Park, Slattery reports "He did his first piece of work since Fairyhouse on Tuesday morning, and hopefully now it is on to Punchestown for the Grade 1 novice over 3m1f.

“All his pedigree suggests he will stay the trip, his dam won a Grade 1 over a similar staying distance and he has always felt like a horse who would stay. He loves good ground as he can't handle extreme winter ground and it was lucky for us that he got knocked out earlier this season, as we didn't run him on heavy ground and he came in fresh.

"It was a great day and while we've had a few good ones in the past, that was my best one."

About Tom Weekes
A lifelong racing fan, Tom began writing point to point reports in 2002 and has reported for irishracing.com since 2003, when he joined Irish Racing Services - since taken over by the Press Association. Has ridden a point to point winner and won the 2018 Irish Field Naps Table.