Three for Noel Meade at Punchestown

Castletown trainer Noel Meade recorded his second treble of the the month when he was the trainer in form at Punchestown yesterday as he moved on to the 21-winner mark for the season.

The former champion trainer won with the Gigginstown duo of Disko and Bel Ami De Sivola, neither of which are new arrivals at Tu Va stables, while the JP McManus-owned Stretchingthetruth took the opener at the Kildare track.

Bel Ami De Sivola was a good winner of the bumper after taking up the running two furlongs out for jockey Patrick Mullins who was deputising for Nina Carberry (at a wedding in France).

Disko had a debut victory in a beginners'chase for jockey Sean Flanagan - the duo survived a mistake at the seventh fence, but recovered well to win by eight lengths.

Meade got off the mark when Stretchingthetruth made it two wins at Punchestown (previously won a bumper) but had to survive a mistake at the first and then was almost carried out approaching the last by the Gordon Elliott-trained Bilko with another Elliott runner, Robin Des Mana, in third place.