Donkey Years makes up for numerous near misses in Punchestown drizzle

Saturday: Punchestown

The glorious weather disappeared and the drizzle took over for the final day of the 2022 Punchestown festival, but it did little to bother Eric McNamara after the consistent Donkey Years gained a much-deserved success in the Grade B Palmerstown House Stud Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase.

In an eventful contest with only five finishers, the son of Robin Des Champs took advantage of a last-fence mistake by his nearest challenger Recite A Prayer and stayed on to win by a length and a half.

McNamara said: "That was nice. He placed in his last three runs and has been very consistent. Mark was superb on him, they went very quick early on and he kept jumping well.

"When you get to the last and you have one of Willie Mullins' upsides you, you fear the worst, but thank God he got the job done. Mark said he is a bit of a monkey, but I wish I had a few more monkeys like him!

"He's the best I have and is a lovely horse, and of course it's great to train a winner here for the great JP McManus."

Cromwell ends the week on a high

Gavin Cromwell did not send a big team to the festival but he certainly enjoyed the final day with double on Saturday.

The 3m7f handicap chase is the longest race of the week not run over banks and Peaches And Cream ran out a convincing winner under Sean Flanagan, coasting clear after the last to score by 11 lengths from The Dabbler.

Cromwell said: "He ran a cracker in the Ulster National when I had left him a little bit short. We'll see what the handicapper does but I would think the Midlands National at Kilbeggan would be a natural target."

The double was completed when the Derek O'Connor-ridden Path D'Oroux landed the bumper in his first start under rules.

Coleman off the mark

The third British winner of the week came in the Grade B handicap hurdle, when the Philip Hobbs-trained Camprond came from off the pace to score for JP McManus.

The three-length success was jockey Aidan Coleman's first winner in Ireland.

Weather has its effect

The miserable weather took its toll on the final-day crowd, with the attendance of 18,892 drastically down on the 2019 Saturday crowd of over 37,000.

The overall attendance for the festival was 115,729 compared with 126,840 in 2019.

Results, replays and analysis

Read these next:

'You don't always get what you expect' - Rock upsets Epatante in thriller

Out on his own - juvenile ace Vauban oozes class to make it nine for Mullins

Perfect day for Appleby after Coroebus overturns Native Trail

Royal Ascot target for Umm Kulthum after Listed success

The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday