Western Fold gave Gordon Elliott’s trainers’ championship bid a boost as he came out on top on the run-in to the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown.
Brown Advisory hero Kitzbuhel bowled along at the front in the Grade One affair, but faded at the business end with July Flower taking it up as they headed to the final fence.
Western Fold jumped much the better to land in the lead, with Fleur In The Park and Nowwhatdoyouthink also in the mix as the quartet battled it out and Kitzbuhel was pulled up.
But in the end it was the 18-1 Elliott runner that was much the stronger in the hands of Jack Kennedy, to land the €73,625 first prize by three and three-quarter lengths from Andrew Slattery’s Fleur In The Park.