28th April 2018
What a Punchestown festival. The second race saw another winner for Mullins/ Townend and then all drama let loose. Samcro and Kennedy and Melon and Townend took falls at the third last hurdle leaving a tired Supasundae to win the Champion hurdle as he liked. Townend got up and was then promptly taken out of the following race along with stablemate Getabird (Patrick Mullins)at the second last hurdle, when Patrick’s aunt Mags and cousin Danny’s horse Debuchet fell in front of them, giving Gordon Elliott a dose of good fortune for the second time this week. Not enough for Elliott though, with Willie Mullins taking the Trainers Championship after a colossal week.
Danny was injured which meant Katie Walsh got a spare ride in the next race on Antey, promptly won in a struggle with Barry Geraghty and then announced her retirement from race riding, after a stellar career of almost 200 wins and competing and winning against the boys at the top level.
After a good start with Kemboy the accumulator went down and the loss rose to £44.30. With ultra competative jump racing at Punchestown, today’s £1 each way treble comes at Sandown for the Whitbread meeting ( I know it’s Bet 365 , but to me it will always be the other), almost equally competative, at win odds of 1104/1.
Words On The Turf 