Disappointment for Gordon Elliott but still a great season
Disappointment and delight have to be the contrasting emotions for trainer Gordon Elliott today after he was 'pipped at the post' in the race for his first NH trainers' title by defending champion Willie Mullins who went into the final week of the season last Tuesday some €400,000 adrift of the Summerhill man.
Mullins finished the season with a flourish and held on to the title as the Festival reached its conclusion this afternoon after five days of top-class racing, but for Gordon Elliott it's a matter of reflecting on a teremndously successfull season that saw him train close to 200 Irish National Hunt winners from his new headquarters in Longwood.
Gordon may have lost out in the race for the title, but he added another Grade 1 success today to an incredible season as Apple’s Jade won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Champion Hurdle some 14 lengths clear of Airlie Beach with Karalee almost a further two lengths back in third.
“I was heartbroken leaving here last night, but that win equals Willie’s record of 193 winners in a season, I said coming here that if I could equal that it would be something. Of course I wanted to win the trainers championship, but at least that is something good,” said the trainer.
'Gordon will make a plan for her (Apple's Jade) next season but she seems to be a very good mare. She is only five, so hopefully there is a bright future for her, but I hate planning too far ahead because some injury will get visited on her,' commented Apple's Jade owner Michael O'Leary.
There was also more success for Robbie Power who was on the mark again in the Potts colours when Sizing Codelco ran out a game winner of the Palmerstown House Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase for UK trainer Colin Tizzard.
Power sent Sizing Codelco on at the second last and wventually won by three-and-a-half lengths from Forever Gold which is trained by Edward Cawley near Batterstown.
The total attendance at this year's Punchestown Festival was 122,557, compared to 114,438 last year with today's crowd returned at 34,370 compared to 30,035 in 2016.
'It has been a fabulous week from start to finish. We have had excellent crowds every day and to have gone from around 1,400 people when we had a non-Festival Saturday to over 34,000 this year is remarkable,' stated Punchestown general manager Dick O'Sullivan.
'Around 25 per cent of our racegoers have come from the UK and we have been delighted to welcome them and some fabulous horses from across the Irish Sea.
'We saw some great finishes and I think Wednesday's Coral Punchestown Gold Cup was the best race I can remember seeing.
'All credit to Sizing John and Djakadam but also to the team behind Coneygree, who put in a superb performance' he added.
The new national hunt season will start on Monday at Down Roayl with a two-mile maiden hurdle off at 1.50pm.