Burning Victory wins Cheltenham prep at Punchestown

Burning Victory won her first race over jumps since the 2020 Triumph Hurdle when making all the running in the Watch On Racing TV Quevega Mares Hurdle at Punchestown.

Willie Mullins' six-year-old took advantage of Goshen’s final flight mishap at the Cheltenham Festival a couple of years ago but she has struggled over hurdles since then.

She had been over to France a couple of times to win on the Flat and finished second in the Cesarewitch in the interim, but she was cut for the Close Brother Mares’ Hurdle next month after this success.

Paul Townend made sure there was no hiding place in the testing ground and set off at a fair lick, soon spreading the field out.

Only Gordon Elliott’s Queen’s Brook could keep tabs on Burning Victory, but even that rival appeared to have been dropped at the second last, with Townend’s mount nicely clear.

However, despite jumping the last with seemingly plenty left in the tank, the leader’s stride began to shorten allowing Queen’s Brook to close in, eventually being beaten a length and a half by the 1-2 favourite.

Burning Victory makes all to take the Grade 3 Watch On @RacingTV Quevega Mares Hurdle under a confident ride from @PTownend, securing the race with a fine leap at the final hurdle and goes on to score for trainer @WillieMullinsNH