WHATEVER the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last weekend lacked in quality, it more than made up for in drama, with Carlingford Lough written off in-running before bursting through to win by 12 lengths.

Valseur Lido looked all over the winner and went long odds-on approaching the last, only to unseat Ruby Walsh shortly after it, though Carlingford Lough was closing in so quickly by that point that he might well have prevailed anyway.

In overall time terms, Carlingford Lough’s win was the best over jumps in the week under review – worth a figure of 163 – but that tells only part of the story.

The 10-year-old was able to get from going nowhere to running out a clear-cut winner not only because of good fortune and his own reserves of stamina but because an overly-strong pace finally took its toll on most of his rivals in the closing stages.

RACE SECTIONAL

The time from three out to the line for the leader/winner – known as the “race sectional” – was 76.6s, representing a finishing speed of just 94.2% of the average race speed, when around 100 would be par. Carlingford Lough himself ran the race more efficiently (74.7s from three out, 96.6% finishing speed) but was still slower than optimum.

The runner-up Road To Riches completed in 79.0s (92.0%) and was out on his feet by the end. By way of comparison, Don Poli – a horse hardly renowned for his raw speed – ran the same closing sectional in 68.5s when winning the Lexus Chase at the course over Christmas.

Carlingford Lough’s win in the Irish Gold Cup was eventually so clear-cut that he might have been the best horse in the race, regardless, but his margin of victory was exaggerated by circumstances and sectional times make that very clear.

Road To Riches ran a rather flat race and is better judged on other efforts, which include a 167 timefigure when third in last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Valseur Lido would probably at least have matched the 157 timefigure he seemed likely to post before falling in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Perhaps the most important conclusion to take from the Irish Gold Cup, however, is that there is a gulf in class between those who fought out the finish, or would have fought out the finish, at Kempton and those who did, or would have, at Leopardstown.

The King George – in which Cue Card and Vautour both returned 175 timefigures – looks much the better form.