Russell fails to get within an ass’s roar of gold as going tough on home soil

Gold Cup hero and triple- winning Cheltenham jockey Davy Russell swapped the sweeping Cotswolds for a street circuit and the pandemonium of a donkey derby in his native Youghal last night.

The local legend engaged jump colleagues Martin Ferris, Mark Enright, Paul Condon, Patrick Mullins, Mark Walsh, Patrick Mangan, Danny Mullins, Ken Whelan and flat jockey Cillian Hennessy to raise funds for the town’s summer Queen of the Sea Festival, which affiliates to Childline and local charities.

The annual event, devised by the champion jockey in 2012 and sponsored by local businesses, has provided marvellous mayhem from the off.