A review of the racing from the Punchestown Festival

A round-up of the rest of Thursday's action from the third day of the Punchestown Festival, where Willie Mullins dominated.

Uncle Junior (6/1) saw off Quantitativeeasing in a barnstorming finish to the FBD-sponsored La Touche Cup at Punchestown.

Quantitativeeasing was the 13/8 favourite to gain compensation for his luckless run at the Cheltenham Festival where he was carried out in the Glenfarclas Handicap Chase when primed to deliver his challenge.

The market leader moved sweetly throughout under Nina Carberry around the banks circuit, but Patrick Mullins appeared equally confident aboard the 14-year-old Uncle Junior, who finished third at Cheltenham, and the two swept clear to fight it out from the home turn.

There was little to choose between the pair jumping the final fence, after which Quantitativeeasing went a length up, but the teenage Uncle Junior roared back bravely to win a thriller by a neck with Keep On Track third.

Winning trainer Willie Mullins said: "He's some hero in our yard. At 14 to run a race like that is fantastic.

"He always makes one bad mistake and hadn't throughout so I said coming to the last 'here it comes', but he only lost half a length.

"He appreciates the drier ground and the sun on his back. Normally he drops out and it takes three and a half miles for him to warm up, but today after half a mile I was hopeful he'd run a big race.

"You saw Patrick after passing the winning post. He really enjoyed it and he's a fantastic horse to have in the yard.

"There is no talk of retirement as he's in good form and there are those type of races for him. I can't see the point of putting him out in a field as he gets bored.

"A horse like him is entertainment and he certainly gave us entertainment today."

The dominant Mullins team also landed the Donohue Marquees Handicap Hurdle with 20/1 shot Avant Tout, with Danny Mullins doing the steering.

"I didn't know if he'd handle the ground but he obviously likes it a bit faster," said the trainer.

"Now we have to decide whether to give him the summer off or keep going and maybe go over fences."

The champion trainer went on to mop up the final two races with Whiteout (8/1) coming with a late run under Paul Townend to win the Orchid Transport Mares Novice Hurdle.

Mullins also saddled the second, Uranna, and the third, Lyrical Theatre.

"Pierre Boulard bought her out of a claimer in France for me and it's great that he's here today to see her win," said Mullins.

"They don't all have to be big money horses, she was a very modest price. She has been surprising me."

The closing Kildare Post INH Flat Race went the way of 5/4 favourite Yorkhill, with Patrick Mullins doing the steering.

Nicky Henderson's Ok Corral chased him home.

"Patrick was full of this horse after his last few bits of work," said Mullins.

"He was keen to keep him apart from Bellshill and got his wish so it worked out.

"He's clearly a nice horse. He's been giving Patrick plenty of vibes and I haven't done much with him."

The win, a fifth on the day for the trainer and tenth of the week, puts him on course to break his record of 13.

Heavily supported favourite Bog War lunged late under David Mullins to claim the Murray Spelman Handicap Hurdle.

A winner at Navan at the end of March and Fairyhouse little over a week ago, the Liam Cusack-trained Bog War was a prohibitively priced 5/2 market leader to complete a hat-trick in this fiercely competitive 25-runner contest over the minimum distance.

Mullins settled the five-year-old in midfield for much of the two-mile journey before allowing him to close down the leaders before the home turn.

Bog War tracked 20/1 chance A Sizing Network into the final flight and looked to have blown his chance after a mistake, but he got rolling again on the run-in and passed the post a head to the good.

Seeyouallincoppers and Equity Swap filled out the places in third and fourth respectively.

Cusack said: "It's great that he followed up. I was a little worried coming back after a week as he normally gets a bit of time. The fact that he didn't have a hard race helped. He was eating well and seemed in good shape. It was worth chancing as it was a good pot. 

"He's game and is a progressive horse. He's unlucky not to have won four in a row and seems to be getting stronger all the time.

"He was 24th in the ballot and just scraped in. He wouldn't have got in without the penalty. David's claim was a huge advantage and he knows the horse.

"We'll have to think about a nice handicap hurdle now. He's rated 64 on the Flat and I wouldn't rule that out but he certainly won't run for a while and we'll take it easy now.

"We'll think about Galway and there is a little race at Leopardstown in the New Year which he might sneak into the bottom of."

Philip Dempsey's admirable mare Jacksonslady claimed an eighth career victory in the Three.ie Handicap Chase.

The JP McManus-owned 10-year-old was a 10/1 chance off the back of a wide-margin success at Naas in February and travelled with plenty of zest in the hands of Mark Walsh.

Jacksonslady was tracked by fellow McManus runner Ned Buntline, the 7/2 favourite, as well as Upazo rounding the home turn, but she saw them both off in the end.

Upazo beat Ned Buntline to the runner-up spot, beaten five lengths by the winner.

Dempsey said: "I'm delighted. She's been going great and I was very happy with her. She is going to stud and it's great to get that. Hopefully she'll go to Galway. Probably for the Plate which is the obvious race. She could have a little break now.

"Mark said she was flat out early but he got there too soon in the end. When the other horse came to her she picked up again. She has the heart of lion and loves a battle. I don't think she's ever come out the wrong side of a battle."