Russell signs off with a double

Punchestown : Davy Russell signed off a successful season with a notable double on Won In The Dark and Oscar Rebel at Punchestown…

Punchestown: Davy Russell signed off a successful season with a notable double on Won In The Dark and Oscar Rebel at Punchestown today.

Russell took his tally for the campaign to 125 to confirm his position as second in the table behind Ruby Walsh.

Won In The Dark was an emphatic winner of the Eventus Marquees Champion 4YO Hurdle.

Beau Michael tried to make all but he could not shake off Alan King's Franchoek, with Russell then making his move on Sabrina Harty's charge on the turn for home, quickly speeding clear.

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The 4-1 sealed victory with a springheeled leap at the final flight to score by 10 lengths from Indian Spring, with Paco Jack staying on for third and even-money favourite Franchoek fourth.

A delighted Harty said: "This horse has never been as well and fresh coming into a race. He loves the summer and the better ground.

"I always thought that it's very hard travelling juveniles when you have to race against the English horses and he didn't drink up when we took him to Cheltenham in November.

"But he deserves a crack at the big races next season.

Russell had earlier brought Oscar Rebel with a perfectly-timed run to win the Bewleys Hotels Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Hurdle

Sneaking through on the inside, the six-year-old stormed past Serpentaria on the run for home and battled on well.

The 6-1 shot, trained by Liam Burke, went on to beat the 5-2 favourite by four lengths.

Burke said: "She keeps surprising me, I didn't think she would win. She's only an ordinary horse at home, but she keeps improving on the track.

"She will go chasing next year."

Willie Mullins ended his first season as Ireland's champion jumps trainer on a high note as Emma Jane took the Whitewater Centre Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase.

The eight-year-old made smooth progress to join issue in the straight after The Sawyer had made most of the running.

The British raider, trained by Bob Buckler, still had every chance as did Vic Venturi but it was Emma Jane (8-1), ridden by Davy Condon, who took the honours by a length.

Vic Venturi was second, The Sawyer third and Slyguff Rory fourth.

Mullins said: "I was very impressed with the ride Davy Condon gave the horse. It was a real top-drawer ride and if it had been Ruby Walsh everybody would have been talking about it.

"I put her in a handicap hurdle a couple of races back as she had lost her confidence over fences. It did the trick and I think she might be a Kerry National horse on day."

Brave Right was all out to hold Ring The Boss in the richest race on the card, the €220,000 Ballymore 25th Anniversary Handicap Hurdle.

The 16-1 chance looked set for a clear-cut victory when Sean Flanagan pushed Leonard Whitmore's charge into a healthy lead before the final flight.

However, Brave Right began to tire on the run-in and the post came just in time as he hung on for a neck success. Jayo was third and Lyceum fourth.

Whitmore said: "He battled well at the end - one was coming at him but he held on.

"I'd have about 10 horses, including point-to-pointers, so it's good to see a small can collect.

"We made plenty of use of him and he stayed and he'll go back chasing now. He won a point-to-point over three miles."

Garde Champetre followed up his victory in the cross-country race at the Cheltenham Festival with a smooth success in the Ellen Construction Chase over the banks course after being a late absentee on Thursday.

The JP McManus-owned nine-year-old, ridden by Nina Carberry, beat Wonderkid by four and a half lengths.

Winning trainer Enda Bolger said: "It will be more of the same with him next season."

Punchestown Results:

2.35 Ellen Construction Chase
1st Garde Champetre (FR) 11/4JF
2nd Wonderkid (GB) 5/1 
3rd Dix Villez (FR) 12/1
4th Berkley (IRE) 33/1

3.10 Bewleys Hotels ISF EBF (Mares) Hurdle
1st Oscar Rebel (IRE) 6/1 
2nd Serpentaria (GB) 5/2F
3rd Moskova (IRE) 12/1
4th My Valley (IRE) 16/1

3.45 Whitewater Centre Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase
1st Emma Jane (IRE) 8/1
2nd Vic Venturi (IRE) 14/1 
3rd The Sawyer (BEL) 14/1 
4th Slyguff Rory (IRE) 33/1

4.20 Eventus Marquees Champion 4YO Hurdle
1st Won In The Dark (IRE) 4/1
2nd Indian Spring (IRE) 33/1
3rd Paco Jack (IRE) 25/1 
4th Franchoek (IRE) 1/1F

4.55 Ballymore 25th Anniversary Hurdle
1st Brave Right (IRE) 16/1
2nd Ring The Boss (IRE) 12/1
3rd Jayo (FR) 10/1
4th Lyceum (GER) 33/1

5.30 Cox's Cash & Carry Champion Hunters Chase
1st Agus A Vic (IRE) 5/1
2nd Alert The Earth (IRE) 10/1 
3rd Jaquouille (FR) 11/2 
4th French Thyne (IRE) 11/1

6.00 Peggy Barry-Walsh Memorial
1st On Raglan Road (IRE) 10/3F
2nd Dunguib (IRE) 11/1 
3rd Controversial (IRE) 16/1
4th Mohi Rahrere (IRE) 50/1

6.30  Diageo Ireland Punchestown Charity Sweepstakes
1st Concrete And Clay (GB) 4/1
2nd Brutto Facie (IRE) 14/1
3rd John James (IRE) 6/1 
4th Caffeine Craze (IRE) 25/1