By Dan Walsh
The Wexford hero of the Punchestown racing festival this week was Richard O’Keeffe, who trains at Newtown, Taghmon, with a pair of spectacular wins ‘over the famous’ Punchestown banks.
Today, Saturday, he won the Howden Cross Country Chase with the 13-year-old Vital Island, a former winner of the Ladies Cup and the La Touche, and afterwards, O’Keeffe declared Vital Island, “as one of the all-time greats around this unique course with a third win at the festival.”
Ridden by Barry Stone, Vital Island’s victory capped a fine season for both trainer and jockey. O’Keeffe had saddled the first two home in the Ladies Cup on Tuesday, while Stone tasted Cheltenham success at the first time of asking in March.
Great scenes on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival last Tuesday when Transprint (22/1) and trainer Richard O’Keeffe, who won the prestigious Ladies Cup ridden by Anthony James ‘Tony’ Doyle from Duncormick who rides out at O’Keeffe’s stables.
It was a first winner under Rules for the rider.
Winning trainer Richie O’Keeffe said: “Transprint keeps going and was third around here last year. Tony rides out for me at home and he picked Transprint.
“It’s a dream result. They were running well in point-to-points and that stands to them. They loved the ground,” said O’Keeffe, who also saddled the runner-up, Turnupthevolume ridden by Barry Stone.
Yvonne Latta from Ballinakill stables, Ballycarney, enjoyed a hurdle victory on Wednesday with Thisistheway (9/1) ridden by John Shinnock.
Owned and bred by her husband Charlie, the Doyen six-year-old was sent off a 9/1 chance and swept to the front on the lengthy run to the last.
“It’s a long time in the planning. The minute she came back in to go hurdling this has been the target all along,” Andrew Latta, assistant trainer to his mother Yvonne, said.
Thursday’s feature was the La Touche Cup over the famous Punchestown banks won by Busselton (7/1) ridden by JJ Slevin from Caim, Enniscorthy, and trained at Carrick-on-Suir by his cousin, Joseph O’Brien.
“I’ve been watching these races from Punchestown as long as I can remember and this is one race I’ve always wanted to win,” said Slevin afterwards. JJ’s father Shay Slevin saddled the 2017 winner, Treo Eile.
It was a good festival for JJ Slevin. On Wednesday he won the Grade 3 chase on James Du Berlais (7/4) for the all-conquering Willie Mullins stable.
On Thursday Jordan Gainford, Caim, was successful on Cushendale Lad (7/1) for Gordon Elliott’s stables.
Sean Flanagan repeated his Cheltenham success on Marine Nationale (2/1) for trainer Barry Connell in the Champion Chase on opening day.
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