Ridden by Paul Townend, the nine-year-old held off the challenge of Sire Du Berlais and Mark Walsh by a half length.

Klassical Dream just LOVES @punchestownrace!

2021
2022
2023@WillieMullinsNH's star stayer wins his THIRD Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle plus records his fourth Punchestown Festival victory

What a performance! @PTownend pic.twitter.com/c0Ut5Mnvmk

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 27, 2023

It was another Grade 1 winner of the Festival for successful trainer Willie Mullins thanks to the gelded son of Dream Well.

"Willie didn't make it a secret that his prep for Cheltenham wasn't ideal."

Klassical Dream bounces back to his best to win the @Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle @punchestownrace, and @irishkor caught up with @PTownend afterwards pic.twitter.com/1AGsnSOcW6

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 27, 2023

It was a fourth Punchestown Festival success in total for the Joanne Coleman-owned bay, and his three triumphs in this race put him alongside Derrymoyle, who won it three times in four seasons.

Sire Du Berlais was bidding to create history by completing the Cheltenham-Aintree-Punchestown treble in the staying division.

Winning rider Paul Townend said of Klassical Dream:

“He loves it here. His record here is very good. We just held on. I was trying to leave it late and I still managed to get there too soon. He hasn’t had the most straightforward of season and all credit to Dave (Casey) and the gang at home for getting him back here in such good form on that bit of nice ground.”

The post Third Punchestown Champion Stayers Hurdle for Klassical Dream appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Going to post a 20/1 chance, the Martin Brassil-trained seven-year-old had the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Galopin Des Champs, the runner-up, Bravemansgame, and the winner of the Ryanair, Envoi Allen among his opponents, along with the Gordon Elliott-handled Fury Road making up the five-runner field.

Fastorslow (20-1), who finished second to subsequent Grand National winner Corach Rambler in the Ultima at Cheltenham, shocks the big guns in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup on just his fifth start over fences. pic.twitter.com/y4r2hOkCqo

— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) April 26, 2023

The English challenger made most the running throughout the race, before being challenged out his outside by Galopin Des Champs on entering the Punchestown home straight. With Fasterslow in third position at this stage, it looked as thought the ‘big-two’ would fight out the finish. As Harry Cobden on Bravemansgame and Paul Townend on the odd-on race favourite went for victory, J.J. Slevin continued to coax the eventual winner back into contention.

In the final furlong, Fasterslow was the strongest as he held off the top two in the betting marker to record a two-and-a-quarter length win to the surprise of the silent stands.

“It was unreal.”

Fastorslow filled second in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Just over a month later, he is a @Ladbrokes @punchestownrace Gold Cup hero!

JJ Slevin reflects on the victory for Martin Brassil’s charge pic.twitter.com/Se6sYAwvlA

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 26, 2023

The post Fastorslow wins Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.