From Carvill's Hill to Ruby: ten of the best from the Punchestown festival

Every Irish jump racing fan will be feeling the pang next week with the loss of the 2020 Punchestown festival. It is not just an Irish Cheltenham, some of the storylines emerging from the meeting in its rich history can rival anything produced at Cheltenham and indeed on occasion has surpassed it. Here are ten of the most memorable performances and races from the last three decades of the Punchestown festival. Its return in 2021 cannot come soon enough.

1989 – Carvill's Hill at his brilliant best

The 1988-89 novice chase season of Carvill's Hill had its frustrating moments for trainer Jim Dreaper. A novicey fall at Leopardstown over Christmas and an early tumble in the Cheltenham Gold Cup had been the lowlights, and there was perhaps something to prove when he came to Punchestown, carrying top-weight of 12st in the EBF Tattersalls Gold Cup.

It was going to be a task for Carvill's Hill to give 19lb to British challenger Slalom. The two sat first and second for most of the way, but Ken Morgan really started to let Carvill's Hill stride on in the back straight, and by the fifth-last Slalom was starting to struggle to keep tabs on him.