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| Punchestown National Hunt Festival 2006 |
Double Gold for War Of Attrition
26/04/06
Cheltenham Gold Cup winner War Of Attrition confirmed his brilliance on home turf when running out a facile two and a half length winner of Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup under Conor O'Dwyer.
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"There's no chinks in him and you can ride him any way you want," said O'Dwyer, who turned 40 earlier this month. "I decided to make it because I didn't want the race to turn into a sprint and Mouse (Morris) had told me to do what I thought best. It's not the ideal way to ride him but I had to go on.
"There were more expectations today but he made it easy for me. He felt in great form beforehand but you never know until you press the button whether Cheltenham has taken its toll. I've ridden some top-class horses like Imperial Call and Hardy Eustace but this one stands out because he can be ridden any way at all and just has no holes in him."
The victory was also a relief for trainer Mouse Morris, who added: "He stays, has pace and jumps - he has everything. He's a natural jumper and he has a lot of foot, he's good enough to win over two miles but stays as well. He's getting to know more about racing, mentally he's improving every day and this year he' just coming right. I won't even think about what he will do next season until June or July."
The winner, who fell on his only start in a point-to-point, carried the colours of Michael O'Leary's Co Westmeath-based Gigginstown House Stud and the Ryanair supremo admitted the successes had still to sink in.
"I don't think we'll realise what he's done until the summer," said O'Leary. "To win one Gold Cup is a dream but to win two is beyond the realms of avarice. We're lucky that he's got a brilliant trainer and a jockey who, at the age of 40, is riding better than ever before.
"We have some young horses at home but I know that in my lifetime I'm never going to have one as good as this. I'm realistic enough to realise this isn't going to happen to me again and that Gold Cup winners don't have a good record the following season.
"I think I should give up horseracing! Having been this jammy so quickly, I know that there are a lot of disappointments ahead. He will come back to the stud for the summer and parade at Kilbeggan on May 8. He'll go back to Mouse in August or September."
Trainer Michael Hourigan was delighted with Beef Or Salmon and Hi Cloy, who respectively finished second and third. "They both ran well after a hard season," said Hourigan. "Hi Cloy had no problem getting the trip and we'll be stepping him up in distance next season. Beef Or Salmon ran a cracker, he's probably lost some of his pace on good ground at the age of 10 but on soft he's still a contender for the big races next season. We have a strong team for the big chases next year."
MULLINS PURPLE PATCH CONTINUES
Willie Mullins bagged his fourth success of the 2006 Punchestown Festival when Josephine Cullen, owned and bred by the trainer's wife Jackie, won the opening AON Group/Sean Barrett Bloodstock Insurance Hurdle by eight lengths.
"She ran a blinder when beaten by Celestial Wave last time and I'm thrilled with her win today," said Mullins. "She's a half-sister to Joe Cullen and we might run her on the Flat, she could win a maiden and it would be great to get some black type for her as a breeding prospect. She might also go for the valuable four-year-old hurdle at Auteuil.
"My horses' form just dipped going into Cheltenham, I don't know why - perhaps they were dehydrated but they are coming back now and it's a handy enough time to be coming right."
Mullins supplies three of the eight runners - Mister Hight, Quatre Heures and Clear Riposte - in tomorrow's tote.ie Champion Four Year Old Hurdle and admitted the ground is a concern for the trio.
"Mister Hight was definitely not right when he ran at Cheltenham and I would be concerned he might not be as good on this ground. I'd be worried about all three on that front but we'll take our chance as the horses are running so well and the course has been watered."
WALSH AT THE DOUBLE
Josephine Cullen's rider Ruby Walsh went on to complete a 41.25/1 double when taking the Bewleys Hotels Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Hurdle aboard the Frances Crowley-trained Brogella.
But the mare's racing days are likely to soon be over. "She was covered earlier in the year but didn't get in foal and will now go to Kris Kin," said Crowley. "She's really only got one more race left in her - that will be probably be a handicap hurdle at Killarney."
The Last Hurrah, trained by Jessica Harrington, sprang a 16/1 surprise in the Blue Square 1800 905050 Handicap Hurdle when holding off British raider Manorson by two and a half lengths.
