Championship issues clearer

PUNCHESTOWN FIGURES:MUCH OF the build-up to Punchestown 2008 centred on battles for the various championships but yesterday's results appear to have put the seal on those with Ruby Walsh now leading his rival Davy Russell by seven winners in the jockeys table with just three days of the season remaining.

Neptune Collonges' win in the big race was added to by Walsh when Freds Benefit completed an 11-1 double for the champion rider in the last. He now leads Russell, who had one winner yesterday, 129-122.

Cousin Vinny's win in the Champion Bumper was win number 31 of the season for Patrick Mullins who leads Nina Carberry by nine in the amateur jockeys' table while his father Willie Mullins is over €182,000 clear of Noel Meade in the trainers' championship.

JP McManus still holds sway over Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud in the owners' title race.

Yesterday's 20,565 attendance at Punchestown maintained the strong crowd figures so far at the festival and was up 412 on last year.

Tote turnover was down €84,000 on last year to €1,121,894 while bookmaker betting reached €2,772,882, a drop of over half a million. However, there was eight races on the 2007 card.

A total of €593,801 was bet on the Gold Cup alone yesterday.

Up to 8mms of rain is forecast overnight and the Punchestown racing manager Richie Galway said: "If we get all that it could turn the ground yielding which actually wouldn't do it any harm."

Tomorrow is ladies' day at the festival and it was announced yesterday there will be limited availability of tickets in the reserved enclosure due to strong pre-sales.

New Approach, Twice Over and Raven's Pass all stood their ground as there were no surprise defectors from the stanjamesuk.com 2000 Guineas at the latest forfeit stage.

The latter pair finished first and second respectively in the Craven Stakes, while the former was given an upbeat assessment by trainer Jim Bolger earlier this week.

Aidan O'Brien can choose from Jupiter Pluvius, Henrythenavigator, One Great Cat and Plan.