WELL done to Neil Durkan, who rode Touch The Moon to win the ‘Have the Conversation - Say Yes To Organ Donation’ Charity Race at Punchestown last Saturday.

The Durkan family has a long association with Punchestown. They sponsor the Durkan Chase every November, in memory of Neil’s brother John, who died in 1998 from leukaemia. John was about to start training when he fell ill and he had sourced Istabraq from the John Gosden yard, where he had been an assistant.

It’s a little-known fact that Neil donated bone marrow to John at that time.

All of those memories came flooding back as Touch The Moon showed a touch of class when sprinting clear of his 21 rivals to win by 16 lengths last Saturday. The winner is owned by Neil’s father, Bill Durkan, who also holds the training licence. Gary Bannon manages the yard very well for the family.

Neil told reporters: “It was a nice buzz and was special to do it on our own horse trained at home. Punchestown has a very special place in the heart of the Durkan family.

“For a Durkan family member to get across the line at Punchestown, whether in a charity race or another race, is special. I have ridden in the Corinthian Challenge and twice in this race.

“I actually have a picture on the wall at home of myself as a 16-year-old with three and a half stone of lead riding in another charity race in Ballinrobe. I’m at the other end of the scale now though.

“Gary and all the lads in the yard do a tremendous job and we’ve had 20 winners this year, which is phenomenal for a small yard.”

Established by James Nolan from Kilcullen, the charity race was first run in 1990 and has raised over €2 million for kidney research and support programmes.