Kidder has Noel Meade smiling at Punchestown

Trainer Noel Meade captured the final Grade 1 of the season with the rapidly improving Jeff Kidder which won the Ballymore Champion four-year-old hurdle under Sean Flanagan.

Jeff Kidder was recording a memorable treble following wins at Cheltenham and Fairyhouse and today landed the spoils in this €100,000 contest in fine style, seeing off the late challenge of the Noel and Valerie Moran-owned Zanahiyr back in second.

When Jeff Kidder won at Cheltenham it was as an unheralded 80/1 shot and while not quite those odds today, at 22/1 the Meade runner was relatively unexpected to land Grade 1 honours at this stage.

“He’s a Grade 1 winner now. We were taking on a bit, he was a 137 against 150," commented a delighted Noel Meade.

"He’s a little dinger so he is. We needed that this week.

"We were having a lonely week to be honest with you.

"He’s just kept improving and his jumping was superb today.

"In Fairyhouse, he missed every second hurdle, today he was brilliant," he added.