Willie Mullins takes things to a new level

Drama, theatre, excellence and emotion were among the central themes of an epic Punchestown Festival which brought the curtain down on the 2017/’18 Irish National Hunt season last weekend.

The campaign reached a fitting crescendo last week with five days of superb racing and any amount of compelling storylines. For the second time in as many years the key narrative in the build up to Punchestown was the trainers’ championship battle between Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins and once again the latter carried the day.

Even by his own incredible standards Mullins took things to a new level last week. A record breaking 18 winners from 37 races, nine Grade 1 triumphs, 12 six figure prizes and over €1.7m in prize money are among the key points from Mullins’ week. The champion trainer produced his team in quite extraordinary form at the end of a long, hard season and he ended up defeating Elliott by just over €800,000.

The pair’s great rivalry pushed them to new heights this season with both sending out over 200 winners – they are the only trainers to achieve this feat in Irish National Hunt racing history – and notching up over €5 million in prize money each.

For Elliott the season may have ended on a somewhat anti-climactic note but a campaign that yielded eight Cheltenham winners as well as English and Irish Grand National triumphs was his best yet.

Lastly mention of Punchestown cannot pass without mention of Nina Carberry and Katie Walsh who announced their retirement within 24 hours of each other. The sisters-in-law were two of the finest amateur jockeys to have graced the sport and such was their standing and ability that they were not simply regarded as leading lady riders but simply as top class amateur jockeys.