Echoing Silence makes Punchestown impact

Henry de Bromhead is planning to head straight to the Cheltenham Festival with Echoing Silence following her victory in the Matchbook 50:50 Graduation Series Mares Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

The point-to-point and bumper winner added an impressive maiden hurdle success to her record at Cork in early November and she was a 5-2 shot stepping up to Listed class in County Kildare.

Darragh O’Keeffe’s mount proved more than up the task, beating 7-4 favourite Switch From Diesel by two and three-quarter lengths, and De Bromhead is now eyeing the Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Prestbury Park in March, a race he won with Telmesomethinggirl in 2021 and Air Of Entitlement last season.

Of Echoing Silence, the trainer said: “She’s a cracker, a lovely mare. I’m delighted for Kenny (Alexander, owner) and Darragh gave her a super ride.

“She jumped great, travelled well and picked up well. The dream is alive.

“She’s a queen of a mare. We bought her off JJ Bowe and Sam Curling, who highly recommended her.

“I’d say we’ll work our way back from the Mares Novices’ Hurdle (at Cheltenham). I don’t know if we need to go anywhere before that, I don’t think so. We might freshen her up now.”

Willie Mullins saddled a double on the card, with Espresso Milan landing cramped odds of 8-11 in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle under Paul Townend before Sea Of Sands (13-2) landed the Solo Arte – An Irish Art Gallery At Punchestown Hurdle in the hands of Brian Hayes.

Espresso Milan was making his stable debut, having previously been trained in Britain by Fergal O’Brien, and Townend said: “It was a nice performance, he was very professional in the way he raced and was a great ride.

“I thought he quickened nicely off a sedate pace but he’ll have no bother getting further as well.

“He’s probably going to be seen best over further. He jumped brilliant and will jump a fence in time.”

Hayes was also completing a double aboard Sea Of Sands, having earlier steered Colm Murphy’s Zanoosh (2-1) to a clear-cut success in the Matchbook Backs Irish Racing Maiden Hurdle, before which Jimmy Mangan’s Pure Steel (5-2) opened his account over fences in the Matchbook Betting Exchange Rated Novice Chase.

“We like him. We’ll stick to two miles at the moment,” said Mangan.

“For the calibre of horses that are in the country, it was a handy enough race. There was no real star in it and he was entitled to win.

“We could look at a novice handicap, around two miles again.”

Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy teamed up to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase with 7-2 chance Kurasso Blue, and the rider said: “He was having a bit of a look at his fences and he’s probably not the quickest horse in the world, but he stays well so I was keen to press on on him.

“He was a big frame of a horse and is probably only filling into himself now. Hopefully he can improve away.”