THERE were wins at last week’s National Hunt Festival at Punchestown for many owners, trainers and jockeys who were involved in other equestrian sports in the past and some, besides those who hunt, who still are.

Before we get into the detail, didn’t Punchestown look absolutely fabulous all week? How many of us who rode, groomed, officiated, volunteered or just partied throughout thought longingly of the brilliant, much-missed international horse trials that were held there up to 2007?

Yvonne Latta, who trained her husband Charlie’s Thisistheway to land the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series Final, is always on hand to support her international event rider daughter, Lucy. Unfortunately, while their home-bred Doyen mare was primed for victory last Wednesday week, a slight cut that required stitches ruled Lesley Crampton’s RCA Patron Saint out of this weekend’s Badminton CCI5*-L in which he and Lucy finished second last year.

Also on Wednesday, champion lady amateur jockey Jody Townend guided the Willie Mullins-trained Bamboo Fever to win the Race & Stay at Punchestown Champion INH Flat Race by two and a quarter lengths. This was a second Grade 1 win, and a third as a partnership, for the Co Cork rider and the O’Connell Morgan Syndicate’s five-year-old Jukebox Jury mare.

Townend show jumping

Townend rode three other horses for Mullins at the Festival, all of whom were placed, but the pair went their separate, if not too distant, ways on Bank Holiday Monday. The trainer sent one runner to Down Royal while Townend headed to Kernans Equestrian Centre in Crossmaglen for the first of the Dublin amateur qualifiers.

Riding her eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare JT Calover Junior, Townend recorded one of 28 double clear rounds but had a fence down in the third-round jump-off which saw her finish 11th and fail to qualify. If not required to go racing, she hopes to contest the remaining qualifiers and has two other horses to compete, all of whom are looked after at home by her father Tim who accompanied her north on Monday.

But back to Punchestown where, on Friday, there were two winning breeders whose names pop up regularly in this section of the paper

A delighted John Roche was on hand to witness It’s On The Line record a hat-trick of victories in the Event Power Champion Hunters’ Chase under Derek O’Connor. The eight-year-old Presenting gelding, who is trained for J.P. McManus by Emmet Mullins, was bred by John and his wife Catherine out of the Accordion mare Ten Dollar Bill.

Next week, John will be paying his annual visit north to Balmoral Show but this time he will only be showing two broodmares, the 2024 Dublin champion Assagart Fairytale, a 10-year-old bay by Coroner, and the Colin Diamond 12-year-old Assagart Velvet who finished third in her middle/heavyweight class at the RDS last season.

The Listed QuinnBet Novice Handicap Chase was won by another inmate of the Emmet Mullins yard, Antoinette Mee’s Sea Music. This seven-year-old Sea Moon gelding was bred by Faith Ponsonby out of Sweet Music who was also by Accordion,

On Saturday, the Listed Palmerstown House Estate Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase was won by British raider Bill Baxter. This nine-year-old Milan gelding, who was recording his seventh career success, was bred by Mary Fanning McCormack who retired in 2024 after many years promoting racing and equestrianism on RTE’s Nationwide.