Busselton enjoyed a back-to-back win in the Mongey Communications La Touche Cross Country Steeplechase at Punchestown yesterday in a thrilling finish to the festival’s longest race.

The distances of 3/4l and 1/2l at the end of 4 miles and 35 fences told the story of a highly competitive race on paper, but following the withdrawal of Vanillier on veterinary advice, Busselton had this covered through, taking a prominent position from the off, and picking off long time leader Vital Island two out.

Where last year the winner had been trained by Joseph O’Brien, this time around, his handler was king of the banks, Enda Bolger, winning this race for a record 15th time, with a horse he described as hardly your orthodox cross country animal. At 15.3, he’s on the small side, but with the heart of a lion, and sound as a bell.

Joint owners Ronnie Bartlett and Justin Carthy had good reason to look pleased as punch, but this race gives disproportionate pleasure to winners, through its lengthy heritage rather than its prize fund, and plays so successfully to the grass roots of the sport.

Darragh O’Keeffe acknowledges the return of his popular winner, Busselton © Aidan Gabard

Rider Darragh O’Keeffe enjoyed a Punchestown double, enabling him to keep tabs on Jack Kennedy at the top of the Jockeys’ Championship, just 4 winners separating them. He spoke of Bolger, “He’s been massive in my career. I started out with him and he’s an absolute genius with these horses.

“I winged the second last and got left alone in front but he kind of parked going to the last. As soon as he heard the other horses coming, he battled back again.”

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Outside The Door ran the race of his life to hold off The Goffer in third, whilst 13/8 favourite Desertmore House was disappointing after a mistake at the 24th, from which he never really regained his momentum.

A majority of Bolger’s horses have always been in the ownership of the sport’s largest patron, J P McManus, whose interests are largely focused around Irish and British racing rather than cross country exploits further afield. By contrast, Ronnie Bartlett is more of an adventurer (his Galvin was touched off in the $250,000 Grand National Hurdle at Far Hills in October ’24), so it must be hoped that some of the more valuable cross country races will come on to their agenda, perhaps even the Velka Pardubicka won by Stumptown in October last.

Former La Touche winner Vital Island belied his 13 years in leading for much of the race, and retirement may have to wait. There’s another race in him yet.

Sadly, Vanillier’s withdrawal robbed the race of any spice for the Crystal Cup standings. It needed Gavin Cromwell’s veteran to run and win to put any pressure on Josef Vana at the top of the Trainers’ leaderboard. With a comfortable 16.5pt lead, he would need to send more than one horse to Lion d’Angers and win to challenge, so it’s a safe bet this Crystal Cup is headed for the Czech Republic.

See full result here