‘A BRAIN FADE’ AT PUNCHESTOWN

PUNCHESTOWN was perhaps the most one-sided Festival meeting of all time — Willie Mullins sent out a record 18 winners, of which nine were at Grade One level, a remarkable achievement. The first 12 of them were for 12 different owners.

While that presents its own problems for all other Irish jump trainers and meant the international aspect to the meeting — British challenge was watered down to a handful of runners and only Rosie Loxton’s hunter chase winner Caid Du Berlais — was almost nonexistent, the meeting was unsurpassed for drama and news.

The victories of Un De Sceaux and Faugheen were exceptional, but the falls of Samcro and Melon — when upsides at the third last in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle — were the disappointment.

The drama surrounded the last two fences of the Growise Champion Novice Chase with Paul Townend’s “brain fade” going to the last — steering round it on the leader Al Boum Photo (pictured, on the right) and taking out Finian’s Oscar — allowed The Storyteller to lead home a Gordon Elliott one-two-three.

Townend was hit with a 21-day ban for dangerous riding, but redemption came quick. He rode a treble the next day — the first of them, Pravalaguna, was cheered to the rafters, and he went on to finish the meeting as the leading rider.

The retirement of Katie Walsh and Nina Carberry, both after riding winners, was the perfect end to two great amateur careers and it leaves quite a hole in the ranks of female riders.