Punchestown legend Risk of Thunder dies of a heart attack

RISK OF THUNDER, who won seven La Touche Cup races on the trot at the Punchestown festival, died of a heart attack on Sunday at the age of 27.

The son of Strong Gale ran in the blue and white colours of actor Sean Connery and was a household name in Irish jump racing.

He landed the La Touche Cup from 1995 to 2002 inclusive, with the race not having taken place in 2001.

Trained to victory in the race in 1995 and 1996 by Noreen Hayes, he was in Enda Bolger's care for his other five successes.

As well as training Risk Of Thunder, Bolger also rode the horse five times under rules including to success in the 1997, 1998 and 1999 La Touche Cups.

Bolger said on Monday: "He was a very special horse. Myself, Philip Fenton, Ken Whelan and J.T. McNamara all agree that he was undoubtedly the best banks jumper any of us had ever sat on.

"He really brought cross-country racing back to life with his flamboyant jumping - he was also high-profile because he was owned by Sean Connery and people used to go racing to see Sean.

"He would go up to Ruby's double, which was a new jump at the time, and he'd throw everything at it. The crowd would gasp when he did that."

Risk Of Thunder also finished fourth in the 1999 Irish Grand National and second in the Velka Pardubicka the same year.

On his retirement after a final La Touche win in 2002, he was retired to JP McManus' Martinstown stables, where he was Istabraq's retirement companion.

Risk Of Thunder won 13 races from 39 starts under rules, all but one of them at Punchestown, and five point-to-points.