RACING/Punchestown report: Day one brought a concussion, Day two disappeared through suspension but on the third day Ruby Walsh hit back with a vengeance.
The local jockey recorded a Grade One double for English trainer Paul Nicholls that totalled a tasty €120,900 in prize money.
Sporazene edged out the Triumph-winner Spectroscope by two lengths in the IAWS Hurdle and Nicholls, who was breaking his Punchestown duck, didn't hesitate to predict a bright future for the grey.
"He could be the first really serious Champion Hurdle horse we have had," said the Somerset based trainer. "He is just a frame of a horse and I told his owners to give me time or he would go nowhere. When he won at Ayr I told Ruby he would win here too," Nicholls added.
Sporazene's race was run during a shower but Le Roi Miguel's victory in the Swordlestown Cup took place in a semi-monsoon.
"It was very slippy so he was good and brave the whole way," reported Walsh while Nicholls said: "It was a great performance from a five-year-old to make all like that."
Nicholls added: "He will keep improving and my job now is to keep him and Azertyuiop away from each other!"
Shay Barry is less used to high profile doubles but the Waterford-based jockey had a memorable winning spin on the enigmatic Holy Orders.
The Champion Stayers' Hurdle had looked to be all about Sacundai but the favourite drifted alarmingly in the market and Holy Orders showed yet again what he can do when he wants to.
"Shay has a great rapport with him but I was amazed with how he battled. After the last I turned to the owner and said he had run a great race to be second!" said trainer Willie Mullins.
Barry was more confident however and reported: "I knew if I winged the last I'd beat Sacundai. He has a fair engine."
Barry doubled up on the well-backed Back On Top in the Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase, his victory made assured by The Dell's exit at the second last.
The pulled-up favourite Macs Gildoran was found to have a respiratory tract infection.
Enda Bolger looks to have found a new cross country kind in Buailtes And Fadas who won the La Touche under an exhilarated Conor O'Dwyer.
Yesterday's 17,400 crowd bet €2,374,065 with the bookmakers which compared to €2,132,492 last year.
The Tote total of €868,436 was up from €775,970.
