Irancy was a surprise 18/1 winner of the first Grade 1 of the Punchestown Festival 2025, the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle.
Ridden by Mark Walsh, the J.P. McManus-owned winner led home a Willie Mullins 1-2-3-4.
The Closutton hot favourite for the race, Cheltenham Festival winner Kopek Des Bordes (30/100 favourite), was fourth of the Mullins winners.
Salvator Mundi (100/30), who made the pace throughout under Patrick Mullins, took the runner-up position nine lengths behind the winner.
Karbau (22/1) and Danny Mullins were third, three lengths behind the second, with Kopek Des Bordes and Paul Townend a further 19 lengths back.
The winning rider, Mark Walsh, was full of praise for trainer Willie Mullins post-race, stating:
“Fair play to Willie for getting this lad to the track because he is a seven-year-old and he has had a lot of problems. Luckily this year everything has gone right for him and he deserved that big race today.
“Once we jumped the third hurdle at the top of the hill, the two lads were gone on me and I couldn’t go any quicker, so I didn’t force this fella.
“He didn’t come down the hill in Cheltenham great so I just held him together going down the hill here in Punchestown and just let him go his own comfortable stride. I wasn’t chasing them. Luckily enough, they came back to me going to the second last.”
