WELL done to all the riders who took part in Monday’s Up The Yard Challenge Race at Punchestown.

Confined to stable staff who have never ridden under rules previously, the race was won by Aimee Morrissey from the Willie Mullins yard on Sir Gerhard, twice a winner at the Cheltenham Festival, if you don’t mind.

Aimee has led up plenty of top-level winners for the Mullins yard, including Gaelic Warrior, Sharjah, Colreevy and Impaire Et Passe. In a role reversal, Paul Townend performed the lead-up duties for Aimee.

The leading jockey would have approved of how Aimee steered her mount around safely for a smooth success. Afterwards she said: “That was very exciting! He is a school master and if he wasn’t going to mind me, I don’t know who was.

“Everyone said it would be over before you know it, and it really was. I couldn’t hear anything due to the wind. I had no idea I was so far clear!”