Champ Kiely upset leaves Willie Mullins pondering big change for Ballyburn next season

Most people expected Willie Mullins to win the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase but few believed it would be with Champ Kiely.

The trainer sent out more than half the field with five of the eight runners, but three of them failed to complete, with Brown Advisory winner Lecky Watson falling and bringing down another Grade 1 victor, Impaire Et Passe, at the fifth before Ile Atlantique fell at the tenth under Patrick Mullins.

It then looked as though the short-priced favourite Ballyburn would bounce back from his disappointing performance at the Cheltenham Festival, ridden more positively by Paul Townend, but he proved no match for the 22-1 winner in the straight and could now be switched to hurdles next season.

"Champ Kiely didn't enjoy Fairyhouse last time but he was a different horse today," said Mullins. "Danny [Mullins] rode him with huge confidence and followed Paul, who he thought was the one to beat. He jumped and did everything right.

"With all the hard luck we had in the race between fallers and horses being brought down, it was great to see Danny getting into the picture coming to the third-last. I thought he had a chance if Ballyburn didn't stay in front and Danny brought him home – he's in great form at the moment."

Danny Mullins celebrates after scoring aboard Champ KielyCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

On Ballyburn, the trainer added: "Paul rode him with different tactics to Cheltenham but he probably didn't jump well enough on the day. The trip is no problem but he's not a natural jumper of fences. We'll put a lot of thought into it, but the feeling is he could go back over hurdles.

"If he's not able to jump well enough in novices then he'll find it a lot tougher in open company next season. We know he jumps hurdles fantastically and there might be a gap in the staying hurdle division."

There were a number of surprise results on the card, with Mullins winning the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle with an 18-1 shot in Irancy – who finished well clear of stablemate and disappointing favourite Kopek Des Bordes – and landing the €100,000 Goffs Defender Bumper with Wonderful Everyday, sent off at 16-1. 

Breakthrough for Brits

Harry Derham got off the mark at the Punchestown festival when Ascending Lark kept on well to land the Listed Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle.

Stable jockey Paul O'Brien got it right when choosing to partner the 8-1 winner rather than stablemate Brentford Hope, who was second last year.

It was a remarkable sixth victory in a row for Ascending Lark, who beat the Jonjo and AJ O'Neill-trained Wilful by three-quarters of a length. 

"Not many horses win six in a row," said Derham. "It was difficult to know what she'd achieved because we kept going into mares' races and I felt she was far superior. I wanted to go to Fairyhouse last week but she was quite sick after Ludlow and we had to be patient. It's all come right now.

Ascending Lark gives Harry Derham his first Punchestown festival winnerCredit: Patrick McCann

"I'm thrilled because I was on the verge of retiring her a couple of times last season. I couldn't get her right at all. I got her in July and she couldn't run until March. Fortunately she's come right and has done well. We could look at Galway but we'll have a think about it. This was always the plan."

There was another British winner courtesy of trainer Mike Smith, who recorded the biggest success of his career with Buy Some Time. 

Five runners were in contention on the run to the line in the Albert Bartlett Series Final, but the 50-1 shot stayed on best under Smith's son Ben.

"Is there anything better than your son winning like that at the Punchestown festival," said Smith, who has sent out just three winners over jumps since July from his base in Ayrshire. 

"It was a big field but we were never going to panic as we know he wants further. Jumping the second-last it looked like we'd be in the first four, but then he just galloped away. This tops it all."

Read this next:

1-2-3-4 for Willie Mullins in opening Punchestown Grade 1 - but Kopek Des Bordes' unbeaten run ended by 18-1 Irancy 

'Horse of a lifetime' Marine Nationale completes Champion Chase double as Fact To File flops 

'There would be no pressure and it's always been a dream of mine' - door open for Constitution Hill to run at Royal Ascot 

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