On the day he handed over his champion jockey title, Paul Townend had the consolation of riding two Grade 1 winners at Punchestown, aboard Kargese and Lossiemouth for trainer Willie Mullins.

Lossiemouth (2/11f) confirmed her status as the leading female hurdler with a commanding performance at Punchestown in the Grade 1 Coolmore NH Sires Bolshoi Ballet Irish EBF Mares’ Champion Hurdle.

The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old survived one scare when taking off early at the third-last but it was the only worry, as Rich Ricci’s mare completed a Cheltenham/Punchestown double for the second consecutive season.

Telmesomethinggirl and Rachael Blackmore went off at a good clip but Paul Townend was happy not to get involved until the pace setter began to tire.

Lossiemouth took it up at that third-last and the result was never in doubt thereafter, as she cantered to a seven-length triumph, stablemates Gala Marceau and Ashroe Diamond completing the placings.

“She stamped her authority on it again,” said Townend. “She’s superior to the other mares at the moment and it’s lovely to have her.

“It was a good test today and the only scare was going out the side, when Rachael was dropping back, I wanted to pop and she had a cut at it. She just got competitive! I lobbed around grand on my own behind but when Rachael was dropping back, she says, ‘Oh, we’re going racing,’ and had a little miscommunication but we got away with it.”

Townend wasn’t going to be drawn on any comparisons with State Man, only to admit that he would be advocating the pair never crossed paths in a competitive setting.

Townend completed the top-flight double with a stunning ride on Kargese (9/4f) for Willie Mullins and Kenny Alexander in the Ballymore Champion Four-Year-Hurdle, won 12 months ago by the aforementioned Lossiemouth.

The Jeu St Eloi daughter was claiming a second Grade 1 of the campaign, having also finished runner-up in the elite juvenile races at Cheltenham and Aintree.

Kargese settled noticeably better than before anchored at the back by Townend. And when Bottler’secret was given the office by Seán Flanagan, with four others challenging, Townend coolly waited before delivering his challenge after the last, coming wide and late to win by a very snug one and a half lengths.

It brought trainer Willie Mullins’ new record of Grade 1 triumphs in a season to 37, with Townend himself riding 23.

Mullins got on the board once more thanks to Brian Hayes producing a withering late run from Chapeau De Soleil (16/1) to deny Beacon Edge by a short head in the SBK Gold Trophy Handicap Hurdle to give owner Susannah Ricci a double on the card.

Elliott’s day got even better as he recorded a fifth win of the week in the Palmerstown House Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase. Like the new champion, Sam Ewing is a pony racing prodigy based at Cullentra House and though the young Antrim pilot lost his whip in the midst of his drive for the line, Minella Crooner (25/1) was giving him everything and just stuck his neck out to deny Better Times Ahead, who had made a telling mistake at the final fence, by a head.

The Punchestown Festival, and the Irish jumps season concluded with Gavin Cromwell completing a first-and-last-race double, as Declan Lavery steered Will The Wise (11/4f) to a short head triumph over Jacob’s Ladder in the Lawlor’s Of Naas INH Flat Race.