Punjabi keeps the flag flying for British

RACING:FOR A fourth day in a row a British-trained horse landed the Punchestown festival feature as Punjabi won the ACC Bank Champion Hurdle under jockey Barry Geraghty. But that didn't matter to Ireland's champion-trainer elect Willie Mullins, who smashed through the €2 million barrier in prize money for the season yesterday.

A double for Mullins brought his total of winners for the week to six and made it all but certain he will be crowned champion trainer this afternoon, the final day of the 2007-'08 jumps season.

"I'm surprised and delighted because we had a very slow start until the ground started to get soft in December," said Mullins. "It is amazing the horses have kept their form so well since then."

Arbor Supreme took the Co Carlow-based trainer through that €2 million barrier in a handicap chase and the champion jockey Ruby Walsh was on board Scotsirish who defied topweight in the Betfair Novice Chase.

That took Walsh to the 131-winner mark for the season, eight ahead of his nearest rival Davy Russell, and left him just one short of riding 1,000 winners during his career in Ireland alone.

"It has been a great year for me and Davy has been a great opponent," said Walsh.

Punjabi maintained the tremendous run of success of British stables when beating the favourite Sublimity by three lengths. The victory meant a fifth Grade One success of the week for the raiders and a seventh win in total. The 1999 tally of eight winners is the cross-channel record at the Punchestown festival.

Nicky Henderson was quick to point to the help of his stable jockey Mick Fitzgerald who was seriously injured in the Aintree Grand National earlier in the month in Punjabi's win yesterday.

"It's our first big day without Mick. We all know he may be back but he could hardly have done better than Barry there. He nicked it by kicking when he did. It was a knockout blow," said the Lambourn trainer.

The day's other Grade One race, the Land Rover Champion Novice Hurdle, saw Tranquil Sea score at 7 to 1 from the Cheltenham winner Fiveforthree.

"The owner, Dermot Cox, helped resurrect Punchestown when it was on its knees so a Grade One here is very special for him," said Tranquil Sea's trainer Edward O'Grady.

A Ladies Day crowd of 30,184 was the biggest of the week but was almost 2,700 down on last year's figure. Bookmaker turnover reached €3,372,125 and included €769,045 on the featured Champion Hurdle alone. The total was slightly up on last year's figure. Tote turnover was down almost €200,000 to €1,177,429.