Cronin makes the headlines again

Journalist and jockeys agent Niall Cronin won the Punchestown charity stakes race for the second consecutive year. The race closed this year’s festival.

Cronin was on board Philip Dempsey’s mare Jacksonslady who was backed from 9/2 to 5/2 favouritism on course. She responded gamely as he cajoled her home without the use of his whip from 8/1 shot The Last Don by three parts of a length.

Cronin, who writes for the Evening Herald, said: “To win this race twice is unbelievable. I’m a jockeys agent as well and one of my jockeys, Tom Doyle, won the Guinness Gold Cup this week at Punchestown on Follow The Plan."