Davy Russell will officially surrender his champion jockey title to Ruby Walsh tomorrow but if that war has been lost yesterday's Punchestown feature-race battle was a resounding victory for Russell and the 20/1 outsider Jetson, who foiled Quevega's perfect racing farewell.
The €200,000 Ladbrokes World Series had looked teed up for an emotional send-off to the legendary mare until Jetson proved a party-pooper under an inspired Russell, whose decisive move after the second last opened up a lead that Ruby Walsh couldn’t close in time on the odds-on Cheltenham Festival record-breaker.
Afterwards Willie Mullins confirmed Quevega's retirement and said: "She's been a very special mare, a legend, and impossible to replace. She didn't get the luck in running today. Things didn't go her way at all.
“I thought Davy Russell rode a good race. He got a good run and it proved a winning run.”
He wasn't alone in praising the Cork rider, whose career looked uncertain when a famous New Year's Eve meeting with Michael O'Leary in the Punchestown tea-room resulted in him losing his job as Gigginstown Stud's number one rider and who completed a 1,133/1 hat-trick yesterday.
Bounce back
The bounce back from that setback four months ago got to its highest with Lord Windermere's Cheltenham Gold Cup victory and Russell's sure big-race touch was again all over Jetson's shock graduation to Grade One success.
Jezki's half-brother was just Russell's second ever ride for trainer Jessica Harrington and with Quevega and market rival At Fishers Cross covering each other's moves on the run to the straight Jetson got clear on the turn-in, keeping just over a length in hand by the line.
Coming just three weeks after the death of Harrington’s husband, Johnny, it was an emotional success for the trainer at her local track although she admitted: “We thought maybe he’d get some prize-money but not in my wildest dreams did I think he’d win. He just ran out of his skin. And I might have to employ Davy more now!”
Russell only got the ride after Barry Geraghty turned down the mount on Jetson in favour of Reve De Sivola and the rider said: "Jessie was actually quietly confident and he jumped great. It's a surprise to me but he did travel well throughout."
The jockey had earlier landed a handicap chase on Mallowney and completed his hat-trick in the mares novice hurdle as Morga held off Vicky De L'Oasis in an exciting finish. Harrington, who'd teamed up with Geraghty to win the first with Macnicholson, later completed a magnificent 3,464/1 treble of her own when High Stratos won the bumper.
Didn't take long
Geraghty didn't take long to get his own back as he produced a 25/1 shock in the Ryanair Novice Chase on the English raider God's Own, who had half a length in hand of another Russell outsider, Moscow Mannon, at the line.
The big Walsh-Mullins hope Champagne Fever started favourite and cut out much of the running but faded to a very disappointing sixth.
It was a first Grade One victory in Ireland for Gloucestershire trainer Tom George whose stable jockey Paddy Brennan missed out with a broken collarbone sustained last week.
“I’m sorry for Paddy who has done all the work on him but Barry was excellent,” said George.
