Rest of card

IT was fitting that the winner which secured Jack Kennedy’s outright win in the National Hunt Jockeys’ Championship was supplied by his greatest supporter, Gordon Elliott, as Minella Crooner caused a 25/1 upset to make it mathematically impossible for Paul Townend to catch the Kerryman.

Sam Ewing was at his strongest on the KTDA Racing-owned winner of the Palmerstown House Estate Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase, narrowly denying 4/1 favourite Better Times Ahead by a head in a driving finish.

Elliott said: “I’m thrilled for Jack; we’ve been thinking about this day since he was 16. Unfortunately he got a couple of hold ups each year. We knew this year he was in good nick. He’s a lot stronger.

“I’m so happy. He deserves this more than anyone with all the injuries that he’s had. He bounces back and that’s his attitude. Hopefully we’ll get another ten or 15 years out of him.”

On Minella Crooner, Elliott added: “He’s a tough horse who came out of a good home in John Nallen’s. The race suited and he seemed to get his own way. He dug in well on the run-in and Sam was very good on him.”

Memorable Cromwell week

A superb National Hunt season and Punchestown Festival for Gavin Cromwell finished with a flourish, as a final-day double brought him to five winners for the meeting.

Stumptown and Sean Flanagan, who were unlucky to be knocked out of the La Touche Cup by a loose horse earlier in the week, gained compensation in the opening Donohue Marquees Cross Country Chase for the Furze Bush Syndicate at 10/3.

The smart stayer has made a solid transition to the banks and scored by five and a half lengths.

“He was going well when he got taken out earlier in the week,” said Cromwell.

“He actually benefitted from the experience of that run. He knew his job much better and has a future in this discipline. He’s a very laid back horse and takes his races well.”

Word to the Wise

A brace for the Co Meath handler was completed when well-backed rules newcomer Will The Wise (9/1 to 11/4 favourite) won the Lawlor’s Of Naas Bumper under Declan Lavery.

Alymer Stud’s five-year-old by Well Chosen looks well bought at £90,000 after winning a point-to-point on his sole start for Andy Slattery in Novemeber. He did well to get on top in the shadows of the post, beating the Gordon Elliott-trained Jacob’s Ladder by a short-head.

Cromwell said: “It’s been a brilliant week. I’d say he’s a fair horse because he’s weak. He’ll be a lovely horse with a jump in front of him and looks a real stayer. Deccy said the pace was very stop-start and he was only getting going at the finish.

“He’d been going nicely at home and we ran him in a schooling bumper last week. It was always the aim to have him for this race, which we won before with Path D’oroux, and we also won a bumper at this meeting with My Mate Mozzie.”

Slope success

Cheltenham Festival-winning conditional jockey Mark McDonagh picked quite the moment to ride out his claim, delivering one of the rides of the week when getting up close home to win the €50,000 Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase aboard his father Mark’s The Gradual Slope (SP 22/1).

Scottish raider Your Own Story looked as though he might have done enough when leading over the last - trading as short as 1/4 in the in-running markets - but trainer Sean O’Brien’s unexposed chaser excelled on his first try beyond an extended three miles in this three-mile-and-seven-furlong event.

O’Brien said: “Mark gave him a cool ride all the way around and got him to switch off. It’s a great way to lose his claim and fantastic for his father as well. This is only a small horse and he had a nice weight [of 9st 13lb when factoring in the rider’s 3lb claim]. He had the profile coming into this and we just felt stepping him up in trip would give a chance.

“We’re a real family operation and it’s great to win a big race like this. I’ve only got two horses for the track and they’re both Mark’s horses. A special thanks to him.”

Chapeau’s biggest win

Much had been expected from Chapeau Du Soleil from early in his career and he finally got his day in the sun when capturing the €100,000 SBK Gold Trophy Handicap Hurdle under Brian Hayes.

Susannah Ricci’s novice, sent to post at 16/1, nosed in front on the line to deny a spirited showing from Beacon Edge, who failed by just a short-head.

Willie Mullins was completing a treble on the card and his 10th winner of the Punchestown Festival. It also saw him finish the season on a record 257 domestic winners (up from a previous best of 237 a year earlier).

“He was plenty keen and didn’t do everything right,” said Hayes.

“There wasn’t that much pace on and he had a lot to do in the straight but stayed on really well. He has plenty of scope and should make a nice chaser.”

Norris delight

There was a popular winner of the concluding Say Yes To Organ Donation Charity Race, as Glen Norris rolled back the years to partner Somptueux to victory for Henry de Bromhead and Pete Davies.

Joan Tyner appeared to be coming with a serious challenge on Big Debates, trained by her father Robert, but couldn’t quite master the 12/1 winner, who prevailed by three quarters of a length. Garry Cribbin got a fine tune from third-placed Omniscient a further three and a quarter lengths behind runner-up Big Debates.

Norris has been involved in racing for the majority of his life, rode his first winner in 1998 and currently works on track for SIS and Coursetrack.

“A massive thanks to everyone who has helped to make this happen and supported me,” said the winning rider.

“I’m nearly stuck for words. I was a bit rusty today but it’s great to do it. I didn’t do a whole lot, the horse was fit and gave me a great spin.”