The win was the middle part of three Grade 1 wins on the day for champion handler Willie Mullins, having won the first Grade 1 with Jasmin De Vaux and the later Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup with Galopin Des Champs.

With the Ross O’Sullivan-handled Switch For Diesel (11/2) coming to challenge the race favourite in the straight, the Dublin Racing Festival Grade 2 winner had enough in hand to run out a ready two and a quarter length winner.

The Noel Meade-trained Colcannon (11/4) was a further six lengths back in third for Derek O’Connor.

Jody Townend delight

The delighted Cork jockey Jody Townend, who recorded her maiden success at the highest level aboard Redemption Day in this race in 2024, said of her now dual Grade 1-winning partner, Bambino Fever:

“She’s as tough as nails. She was nearly doing too much with me the whole way today and she galloped right through the line. She has pace as well. She has it all… she’s a gem.

“She shows up every day. For a mare to do that, she’s won four all year and she’s going on a well deserved holiday now.”

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The Closutton trainer’s winners included the three Grade 1 races on the card.

Kaid D’Authie (9/4 favourite) and Mark Walsh was the first Mullins winner on Wednesday. The J.P. McManus-owned French-bred won the Louis Fitzgerald Hurdle by three and a half lengths.

Kaid D’Authie had pulled up on his most recent racetrack appearance, in the Grade 1 Turners’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last month.

Three Grade 1 victories

In the first Grade 1 of the afternoon, Jasmin De Vaux (13/8 favourite) brought up the Closutton-handled double, and gave stable jockey Paul Townend his first winner of the 2025 Punchestown Festival.

The next Grade 1 on the card was a win for Townend’s sister, Jody, as Bambino Fever (11/8 favourite) completed the Cheltenham-Punchestown champion bumper double.

Galopin Des Champs (5/6 favourite) was most impressive – a 22 length winner – in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup. The son of Timos was a fourth winner on the card for Team Mullins.

James Du Berlais (7/1) and J.J. Slevin completed the Willie Mullins five-timer with success in the Grade 3 Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase.

Crucial winner for John Shinnick 

Glanworth, Co Cork jockey John Shinnick closed the gap in his quest for the conditional jockeys’ championship with success on 9/1 chance Thisistheway.

Owned and trained by the Lattas in Wexford, the daughter of Doyen was a length and a quarter victor over the fast finishing Littlefoot (80/1) and Conor Stone-Walsh.

The Tom Mullins-trained, Danny Mullins-ridden Coral River (6/1) was a further three lengths back in third.

Shinnick is now only one winner behind leader Tiernan Power Roche in his bid to succeed Danny Gilligan as champion conditional rider come Saturday afternoon.

British-trained winner

David Pipe continued the success of the British trainers as he won the Adare Manor Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle with Thanksforthehelp (14/1).

Carrying the colours of the race sponsor, J.P. McManus, the Gavin Brouder-ridden eight-year-old grey came late to claim a two and a half-length success from race favourite Ballysax Hank (5/1), with a further three and a quarter lengths back to Stay Gold (20/1) in third.

The Declan Queally-trained and ridden Carrigmornaspruce (11/2) took the concluding Grade 3 Weatherbys GSB EBF (Mares) IMH Flat Race.

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The 4/1 winner gave champion handler Willie Mullins a 14th success in the race, with Irish-trained horses achieving a trifecta in the day’s final race.

Lisgoold, Co Cork rider, Townend admitted to being “on cloud nine” following the win on only her third ride at the Cheltenham Festival, adding:

“I can’t believe it – it will take a long time to sink in! I was in front plenty soon enough, she was on the way with me coming down the hill and I was looking up at the big screen thinking, ‘please someone, don’t come nab me!’. It was a big relief when I got to the line.

“I got a perfect position. I couldn’t believe it when I jumped off and managed to get where I wanted to be, usually that doesn’t happen in that race. Once we turned down the hill and they got racing, she jumped on the bridle for me.

“It couldn’t have gone any better. I was [pushed a bit wide coming into the straight] and even going away from the stands I was pushed quite wide, but I just didn’t want to run into trouble. Even when she was pushed wide, I was travelling well enough, it didn’t affect her. She keeps trying, she has a heart of gold.”

Heads Up (33/1) and Seán Bowen were second for the John McConnell yard, a length and a half behind the impressive winner.

Tom Cooper’s Shuttle Diplomacy (66/1), with Donagh Meyler in the saddle, were third home, another length and a half behind McConnell’s charge.

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