Gaelic Warrior wows crowd with stunning Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup triumph

Gaelic Warrior overcame some trademark pre-race over-exuberance to stamp his class on a select but high-class field in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup, crossing the line 26 lengths ahead of stablemate Fact To File, who was another 28 lengths ahead of another Closutton inmate, Grangeclare West.

Nobody knows better than Paul Townend just how hard it is to follow up glory in the Cheltenham blue riband with victory here, and on a week where so far, many of Willie Mullins’ March heroes failed to fire, the once unpredictable gelding proved like his pilot, to be Mr Reliable.

Susannah Ricci’s son of Maxios was an uneasy enough favourite, though he went off at 5/6, but he now takes his place among the modern greats, as the first horse since Sizing John in 2017 to do the big double. Indeed, since War Of Attrition in 2006, Don Cossack, in 2015, is the only other horse to achieve this difficult feat.

Townend has tried twice with Al Boum Photo and twice more with Galopin Des Champs, but it is clear that Gaelic Warrior, at eight, is a special animal with the time to achieve greatness.

“He was class, wasn’t he?” said an appreciative Townend, who was greeted to a huge ovation as many of the 26,432 patrons at the sun-kissed venue packed around the winner’s enclosure to hail the epitome of brilliance in equine and human form.

“He was a bit saucy at the start, which worried me a little bit, but he did chill out when we got below. And once we jumped off, he dropped his head, and I got in a lovely little pocket. And he did everything right from there.

“He was listening to me. Big jumps, when I wanted them, or when they presented themselves, but he was always thinking on his feet as well. He's grown up a hell of a lot, and has a hell of an engine.

“He was here in brilliant form. Been worried with the way a couple of them had ran and things, but… he was so impressive (in Cheltenham), it was such a huge performance, would it leave its mark? But no, he turned up again today, and credit to everyone at the track here with the ground they produced here as well. A lot of work has gone into that.” Mullins saddled the 1-2-3 but admitted to being a little worried as the revs increased over the final mile.

“It was a huge performance,” said Mullins, who is closing in on a 20th champion trainers’ title.

“My heart was in my mouth when Paul joined him between the fourth-last and the third-last. “I was thinking, ‘Would they knock one another?’ or what would they do? They were going some lick. Both jockeys just let fly.

“Over that trip Gaelic Warrior seems to have the measure of Fact To File. Over a shorter trip it might be different. It was a helluva horse race. It takes two horses to do it. It was great that JP (McManus) allowed Fact To File to take him on. It made for a memorable day.” Josh Halford was in dreamworld as he registered his first ever Grade 1 triumph, showing real strength in the closing stages with a willing partner, as With Nolimit (14/1) won the Race & Stay At Punchestown INH Flat Race by one and three-quarter lengths from the staying-on Cheltenham Champion Bumper winner, The Mourne Rambler.

The Gigginstown House Stud-owned Bande gelding was also providing trainer, Gordon Elliott, with a 13th top-flight success, which matches his previous best tally for a season. With Teahupoo and Wodhooh still to come, the Cullentra House guru may yet set a new mark before the season concludes.

Halford was a late call-up, as Barry O’Neill was injured and could barely believe his fortune.

“He jumped off a shade bit keen but Harry (Swan) told me he would be,” the young jockey explained. “Going by the stand the first time, I thought it was over but he settled away and I was never in doubt after that, I always knew I was on the winner. I can’t thank Gordon enough. He’s backed me and if you told me I’d ride a Grade 1 winner for Gordon Elliott, I’d never have believed it.” Jody Townend made a great day for her family, and brought the double up for Mullins, following up her brother’s feature triumph with a notable victory of her own a half-hour later.

The younger member of the East Cork clan is no stranger to big-day success, of course, and she added the Grade 3 Weatherbys General Stud Book Irish EBF Mares INH Flat Race to her bulging CV when Even Tho (7/2) blew away the opposition to prevail by 16 lengths.

And it was thanks to a former legend of the weigh room that the five-year-old joined the Mullins string.

“Rachael Blackmore tipped us off to have a look at her after she fell in her point-to-point and bought her for this client,” Mullins related.

“It’s one of the many talents she has now that she’s given up riding, spotting horses. If she can buy more like her she’ll make a living out of that. I was a good buy by her and we’ll have to give Rachael the plaudits for sourcing this one.

“It was an extraordinary performance. I was hoping my own filly (Al Arrivee) was creeping up the inside with Derek (O’Connor) but when Jody set her alight it was all over in a few strides.” Darragh O’Keeffe has enjoyed a fantastic season and he added a Punchestown Festival success when guiding Nouvotic (7/1), trained by Henry de Bromhead, to an easy 10-length success in the Grade 3 Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase.

It was a pillar-to-post exhibition by Roger Brookhouse’s progressive chaser.

“It’s lovely to get one, especially for Roger, who is a brilliant supporter of Punchestown. He loves coming over, he comes over every year,” said de Bromhead.

“We thought he was a real three-miler and he was disappointing one day in Kilbeggan. He looks like a two-and-a-half or two-six kind of horse.”