Punchestown 2006

2006 entries

Punchestown 2005

Hourigan Duo Chasing Gold At Punchestown
21/04/06

Wednesday (April 26)'s 240,000 euros Grade One Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup has attracted a superb eight-strong entry including the Cheltenham Gold Cup first three home - War Of Attrition, Hedgehunter and Forget The Past - as well as Michael Hourigan's duo, Hi Cloy and Beef Or Salmon, who were today both declared definite starters.

Hourigan reported today: "They're very well and they both run."

Hi Cloy scored the fourth Grade One chase success of his career when defeating Queen Mother Champion Chase runner-up Fota Island in the two-and-a-half mile John Smith's Melling Chase on April 7.

Hourigan commented: "I was very happy indeed with Hi Cloy at Aintree. He ran to the horse that he is. He's beaten Kicking King and War Of Attrition in the past, so he's a fair horse."

Successful at Punchestown in December when landing the Grade One John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase over two and a half miles, the nine-year-old is encountering three miles, one furlong for the first time, but he did win a three-mile novice chase at Limerick in March, 2004.

His trainer said: "I'm not really worried about the distance. He won a point-to-point as a five-year-old but he was always a speed horse so I haven't really run him over further. The ground wouldn't be a problem for him."

Beef Or Salmon won this prestigious contest in 2004 when he defeated Harbour Pilot by four lengths, and this season he collected a fourth victory in the Grade One Lexus Chase and a second success in the Grade One Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

The10-year-old failed to land a blow in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and unseated Paul Carberry in the Betfair Bowl at Aintree, but ran third in a handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse on April 17.

The Patrickswell trainer commented: "I was very pleased with his run at Fairyhouse. With horses, you can't be confident, but he's won the race before and he's well in himself.

"A winner at Punchestown is the same as having a Cheltenham winner for us."