Racing News and Punchestown report: Govamix, who had been Dermot Weld's sole hope for glory at Cheltenham this year in the Supreme Novices Hurdle, has had to be put down.The six-year-old, a 20 to 1 shot for the festival with Ladbrokes, took a fall on his last start at Punchestown at the start of the month and picked up what turned out to be a fatal injury.
"Govamix over-jumped at the fourth last for Barry Geraghty and sadly he broke a bone in his hind-leg. He underwent surgery but unfortunately had to be put down," Weld said yesterday.
He added that he is now "unlikely" to have any runner at Cheltenham.
Weld's fellow Curragh trainer Christy Roche predicted yesterday that he will have just the one runner, the Festival Bumper favourite Martinstown, at Cheltenham.
Roche reported Le Coudray to have emerged unscathed from his Hennessy second to Florida Pearl but ruled out a trip to the festival.
"We will see about the Grand National but I don't know if the ground would be right. We might just leave him alone," Roche said.
"Martinstown is in good nick and it looks like he will be the only one of mine going. If there is another one I can't see it at the moment!" he added.
Daisy Duggan, the 26-year-old amateur rider, rode her own horse Native Beat to overturn the professionals in the handicap chase at Punchestown yesterday.
As the hot favourite Snowy Ford dropped away there was only one winner from the turn-in and Native Beat eventually wound up three lengths clear of Lisaan.
It was a second success on the horse for the rider who also won over hurdles at Tramore recently.
The first of the new rollover jackpots was almost guaranteed to happen after the 16 to 1 Where Now powered through to vindicate trainer John Queally's judgment in the Beginners Chase.
"He was in at Haydock on Saturday which looked an easier option but this has worked out for us. Jumping is his forte and he is in a novice handicap at Haydock in a few weeks' time," said Queally.
Where Now's task was made easier by the exit of the favourite Liscannor Lad at the third and by Jack High unseating his rider later.
One impact of the result, however, is the first use of the new Tote policy whereby the €2,719 jackpot will go to the next meeting in Ireland, in this case at Gowran tomorrow.
If the chases went to outsiders, punters got both handicap hurdles spot on with the well backed topweight Brave Eagle proving much too strong for his opposition in the three miler and his fellow topweight, Steel Band, justifying favouritism in the two-mile race.
Tipperary trainer Michael Phillips saddled a welcome winner when Your Almost There finally broke his duck over hurdles in the maiden.
The 2002 point-to-point winner has proved frustrating and Phillips quipped: "After he got beat at Naas we were going to rename him - until we found out how much it would cost!"
Padraig Roche, the son of trainer Christy Roche, got a one-day ban for dropping his hands on the 9 to 4 bumper favourite Like A Bird who lost third place by a head behind the winner Gifted Approach.
