Libberty in the hunt for Punchestown honours

Evans Williams may look to Punchestown with Libberty Hunter after his unfortunate exit when running promisingly in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

The nine-year-old has been both sparingly and successfully campaigned this season, winning a Cheltenham handicap before finishing second in the Grade Two Game Spirit Chase at Newbury.

He was then sent off a 33-1 shot under Adam Wedge in the Champion Chase and looked poised to run a big race when he blundered three fences from home and fell.

Both horse and rider emerged unscathed and though luck was not on the gelding’s side at Cheltenham, his trainer is still able to take plenty of positives from the experience.

“He’s all good, everything is fine with him. It’s just one of those things that can happen at that fence when they go fast,” said the trainer.

“He was going beautifully, we were absolutely delighted with where he was. It’s somewhat frustrating but that’s racing and that’s the way the cards fall sometimes.

“He looks like a Grade One horse, I don’t think we’re silly in thinking that. The little steps have enabled us to be confident that we deserve to be taking our chances in such races.”

The Punchestown Champion Chase in on April 29 may now be on the agenda.

“I suppose we’d better look at Punchestown for the two-mile chase there, I can’t see why we shouldn’t look at that,” Williams added.

“There is a thought that maybe a step up in trip to two-and-a-half might not be the silliest thing to look at in Aintree but the fact is we were running very well over two miles, so Punchestown could be the sensible option.”