A Dream To Share does it again at Punchestown

Cheltenham winner shows guts to go with his class.

A Dream To Share proved beyond any doubt he is the best bumper horse in training with a tenacious victory in the Race & Stay At Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race.

Not only was he following up his Cheltenham Festival success, he was completing a five-timer in the process, almost unheard of in the bumper sphere.

It was Willie Mullins’ Tullyhill who made the winner pull out all the stops on this occasion, with the Cheveley Park Stud-owned five-year-old taking a big step forward from his sole win at Gowran.

Patrick Mullins travelled into the home straight seemingly going much better than his teenage contemporary John Gleeson, who was hard at work on the odds-on favourite.

The two got close together inside the final furlong, but A Dream To Share (8-11), trained by the veteran John Kiely, showed he had guts to go with his undoubted ability, and once on top he forged three and three-quarter lengths clear.

It was just the third time in 11 years Mullins had not won the premier bumper at the Punchestown Festival.

John Gleeson salutes the crowd
John Gleeson salutes the crowd (Brian Lawless/PA)

Gleeson said: “I can’t believe it, I’m very, very lucky to be honest.

“He’s a very, very special horse and I’m very lucky to be riding him.

“I thought when Jody (Townend on It’s For Me) went along the outside, we got racing plenty early and I was just trying to bide my time. You can get sucked in there a bit early around that bend to get racing.

“He’s so straightforward, he has so much class. It just wows me. He’s such an honest horse, he gives you 110 per cent every morning, even on the gallop. He tries his heart out for you and he had to dig deep today.

“I thought he was even more impressive today to show that toughness.”

Kiely said: “He’s an amazing horse to keep his form for so long.

“He had to dig deep at the end, I think Patrick’s horse is a very decent horse. John was against a strong man and did well for his age.

“The races all came at a distance apart, they were timed that we were able to work it. The space between Dublin, Cheltenham and now suited us.

“JP (McManus) was a great man to go out and buy him, but he bought a nice horse.

“He’s a great battler, he battles well and that’s a big plus. I couldn’t have had him better and I was delighted with him coming here.”

He went on: “He had jumped before we thought anything of him, but since he showed us something we were minding him. From here on now I’d say he’ll learn to jump.

“I’ll keep going for another while but very soon my nephew Tommy is going to join me on the licence.

“He’ll take over and do long journeys and I can sit back and watch. I’ll be around though for as long as I’m left.

“This horse is worth getting up for in the morning, but checking his legs is a worry every day!”

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