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.

Despite some daytime showers, the going was certainly ‘firm’ as a crowd of about 2,000 lined the 60-metre ‘course’ on the divided main street.

Each jockey formed part of a three-person team representing 20 local pubs and businesses. Racing in two fields of five, they strove to amass a winning points total across four novel events.

The mini-tractor ‘bumper’ lived up to its name and the barging in the three-man, four-legged handicap would have appalled the most stoic of stewards, even without veteran Co Waterford jockey Ken Whelan somehow finishing without his trousers.

The 42-year-old, who officially retired two years ago following a broken back, was the star of the night.

In a three-way donkey run-off following a points tie, the Lismore native trotted home aboard the belly-swaying Bertie’s Burger, with Davy Condon and Mark Enright two asses’ roars behind.

Then in the 10-runner contest for the Youghal Gold Cup, the veteran again proved that an old dog (or donkey) gets down the long road fastest. !Michael O’Leary will surely be in touch soon.

Punching the air, the double-champion revealed that in the course of a false start to the cup contest, he had diverted his mount to visit a solitary bookmaker from Cork and punted “a score (€20) on myself to win at 4/1!”

Small wonder then that he reflected: “I’ve ridden winners in Cheltenham and Punchestown but this is the best night of them all!”

No joy on home soil then for the Gold Cup winner but a broad smile for “a great occasion and a great crowd as always”.

Shur, Cheltenham is only trotting after it.