Bibby Ireland Punchestown Gold Cup
Grade 1, Punchestown 17:30 €200,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m 1f, Class 1
Wednesday 27th April 2016

1 Carlingford Lough 12-1
2 Djakadam 9-2
3 Don Poli 6/1
NR: Smashing (FR)
6 ran Distances: 4½l, 2l, nk
TIME 6m 21.10s (slow by 15.10s)

Carlingford Lough comes with a late charge to win the Bibby Punchestown Gold Cup from Djakadam with Don Poli third

Carlingford Lough
© Caroline Norris

John Kiely celebrated the biggest win of his long training career when Carliingford Lough finished with a wet sail to win under Barry Geraghty at 12/1.

The Colin Tizzard-trained Cue Card, sent off 4/6 favourite, could finish only fourth after Carlingford Lough scored by four and a half lengths, with Djakadam in second.

“I’ve been coming to Punchestown since 1948, when I was here as a child, and this is a never-again experience in my life. But once is lovely!” said Kiely. “I ride the horse out practically every day and I was very happy with him. He felt very good. He’s the best I’ve trained and the best I will train.

“He travels well when he’s happy and relaxed and he stays really well. He’s an easy horse to train, you just have to keep him fresh. He came a bit late at Cheltenham and he didn’t seem to handle the ups and downs there. I think he prefers a level track and he’s probably better in Ireland.

“It was unbelievable. It was easier today because he wasn’t fancied – nobody seemed to think much about him. We even contemplated whether or not we should be here.

“Today was undoubtedly the highlight with him. I would have been delighted to have been placed. I thought we could beat the Irish horses and I would have been delighted to be placed.

“Almost anybody can ride him – I just ride him when I feel like it. He was as well coming into today as he had been for any other race. He has not run a bad race and is very consistent, that is what I like about him.”

Barry Geraghty added: “What a trainer John Kiely is. The horse came from the clouds to win in Leopardstown when Mark (Walsh) gave him a brilliant ride. He couldn’t go the gallop at Cheltenham and couldn’t go the gallop today but really finished it out.

“He picked up in the straight and it was a question of how long he could sustain that run. He went all the way to the line and was brilliant.

“All credit must go to John Kiely. He’s done an amazing job with this horse to win the Galway Plate, here as a novice, two Gold Cups at Leopardstown and here today. It was a brilliant training performance.”

Joe Tizzard, assistant to his father, said of Cue Card: “We didn’t think he’d had a hard race at either Cheltenham or Aintree but it’s probably just the end of the season taking its toll. He owes us nothing and he’ll be back to fight another day.”

Punchestown Gold Cup
€200,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m 1f, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Good to Yielding

Pos	Dist	Horse SP	Jockey Weight	Trainer	Age
1st		Carlingford Lough (IRE) 12/1	B J Geraghty 11-10	J E Kiely	10
2nd	4½	Djakadam (FR) 9/2	R Walsh 11-10	W P Mullins	7
3rd	2	Don Poli (IRE) 6/1	B J Cooper 11-10	W P Mullins	7
4th	nk	Cue Card 4/6f	P J Brennan 11-10	C L Tizzard	10
5th	21	Foxrock (IRE) 33/1	D F O'Regan 11-10	T M Walsh	8
F		Road To Riches (IRE) 7/1	D N Russell 11-10	N Meade	9
NR		Smashing (FR) 25/1	N D Fehily 11-10	H de Bromhead	7

Year Horse Age/Wt Owner Trainer Jockey SP
2015 Don Cossack 8-11-10 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Paul Carberry 5/2
2014 Boston Bob 9-11-10 Andrea & Graham Wylie Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 5/2 Fav
2013 Sir Des Champs 7-11-10 Gigginstown House Stud Willie Mullins Davy Russell 2/1 Fav
2012 China Rock 9-11-10 Michael O’Flynn Mouse Morris Barry Geraghty 20/1
2011 Follow The Plan 8-11-10 Redgap Partnership Oliver McKiernan Tom Doyle 20/1
2010 Planet Of Sound 8-11-10 Charles Lloyd-Baker Philip Hobbs GB Richard Johnson 14/1
2009 Notre Pere 8-11-10 Tilly Conway Jim Dreaper Andrew Lynch 15/8 Fav
2008 Neptune Collonges 7-11-10 John Hales Paul Nicholls GB Ruby Walsh 9/10 Fav
2007 Neptune Collonges 6-11-12 John Hales Paul Nicholls GB Ruby Walsh 8/1
2006 War Of Attrition 7-11-12 Gigginstown House Stud Mouse Morris Conor O’Dwyer 4/5 Fav
2005 Kicking King 7-11-12 Conor Clarkson Tom Taaffe Barry Geraghty 8/11 Fav
2004 Beef Or Salmon 8-11-12 Joe Craig Michael Hourigan Timmy Murphy 5/4 Fav
2003 First Gold 10-12-00 J P McManus Francois Doumen FR Thierry Doumen 7/4 Fav
2002 Florida Pearl 10-12-00 Violet O’Leary Willie Mullins Barry Geraghty 13/8 Fav
*2001 Moscow Express 9-12-00 John Corr Frances Crowley Barry Geraghty 8/11 Fav
2000 Commanche Court 7-11-09 Dermot Desmond Ted Walsh Ruby Walsh 100/30
1999 Imperial Call 10-11-09 Lisselan Farms Ltd Raymond Hurley Ruby Walsh 8/1
1998 Mahler 8-10-12 English Badminton P’ship Nigel Twiston-Davies GB Carl Llewellyn 5/1
1997 Noyan 7-11-01 C H McGhie Richard Fahey GB Norman Williamson 13/2
1996 Billygoat Gruff 7-11-03 Peter Cooper David Nicholson GB Richard Johnson 7/1
1995 Butches Boy 6-10-07 Bridget Kennedy Pat Fahy Francis Woods 14/1
1994 Merry Gale 6-12-00 Herb M Stanley Jim Dreaper Kevin O’Brien 5/2
1993 Fissure Seal 7-11-01 Delton Syndicate Harry de Bromhead Graham Bradley 7/1
1992 Second Schedual 7-11-00 Hugh McMahon Arthur Moore Richard Dunwoody 12/1
1991 Local Whisper 7-10-07 Mrs Chris Harrington Arthur Bunyan Tommy Carmody 9/4 Fav
1990 Mixed Blends 8-11-00 J Spearman Mouse Morris Charlie Swan 7/4
1989 Super Furrow 9-11-09 Mrs M Marshall Jerry O’Neill Padge Gill 8/1
1988 Doubtful Venture 12-10-07 E Morrissey Paddy Mullins Conor O’Dwyer 12/1
1987 Bankers Benefit 7-10-13 Brigadier B Fowler John Fowler Anthony Powell 6/4 Fav
1986 Daltmore 8-10-01 N Coburn Paddy Mullins Tony Mullins 20/1
1985 Larry’s Latest 8-10-01 Miss A Collen Miss A Collen M Cummins 14/1
1984 Lantern Lodge 7-9-09 Mrs M Farrell Paddy Mullins Tony Mullins 7/2 Fav
1983 Pearlstone 7-10-08 William W Brainard Jnr Paddy Mullins Tony Mullins 3/1 Fav
1982 Fethard Friend 7-10-09 M Aherne Francis Flood Frank Berry 7/4 Fav
1981 Luska 7-10-01 John Brophy Paddy Mullins T V Finn 100/30
1980 Kilbricken Money 11-9-07 Mrs Charmian Hill
*Run at Fairyhouse