RACING:DAVY RUSSELL, who enjoyed two winners at the recent Cheltenham Festival meeting, was taken to hospital with a wrist injury after suffering a bad fall at Thurles yesterday.

Russell came to grief in the Holy Cross Maiden Hurdle when the Tom Mullins-trained Academy Rose hit the deck at the second-last.

The jockey was stood down for the rest of the day and is to undergo X-rays on his right wrist to ascertain the extent of the injury.

His agent, Frostie Kelly, said: “Davy’s hoping that with the treatment from the doctors he’s going to be okay.

“The wrist was fairly swollen but he’s had it iced and it’s better than it was.

“After speaking to him leaving the racecourse he doesn’t think there’s a fracture.”

Gigginstown House Stud continued their fine run when Launchpad justified short odds in the Moycarkey Hurdle.

Michael O’Leary’s operation had three winners at the Cheltenham Festival last week and there was no doubting Launchpad’s superiority over the opposition as the four-year-old got off the mark at the third attempt.

Russell had an armchair ride on the 4 to 5 shot, who cruised to victory by six lengths from One For Joules. “He’s in at Aintree but Fairyhouse might do instead,” said trainer Dessie Hughes.

“He could go for a winners-of-one race beforehand although he doesn’t need much more experience.”

Because of the earlier fall Russell missed his final mount of the day, Resolute Bay, in the Captain Paddy Graham Order Of Malta Maiden Hurdle won by Wyse Oscar (12 to 1).

Academy Rose’s tumble two out left the way clear for Popcorn (4 to 7) to come home an easy seven-length winner for trainer Willie Mullins and his amateur rider son Patrick.

“He was probably lucky today. The horse that fell appeared to be travelling quite well,” said Mullins senior.

“He needs an extra half-mile or even a mile. He’s a real chaser for next year.

“We’ll try and win another hurdle and he’ll go for a winners’ race over two and a half miles or further.”

Mullins’s stable jockey Ruby Walsh had luck on his side when winning on his only mount, 5 to 2 favourite Mr Pernickety for Co Westmeath-based Robert Burns in division two of the Clonoulty Handicap Hurdle after the leader Glenbane Gent got rid of Paul Townend, his understudy at the Closutton, at the final flight.

Townend had got on the scoreboard by winning division one on Shorecliffe King (11 to 2) for Co Kildare trainer Philip Dempsey.