IRISH GOLD CUP

(GRADE 1)

WHAT looked the remotest and unlikeliest of outcomes for most of the race came to fruition in dramatic style as a resurgent Carlingford Lough claimed back to back triumphs in the Irish Gold Cup.

An inspired A.P. McCoy got John Kiely’s charge home in front in this race 12 months ago and Carlingford Lough benefited from another master class as Mark Walsh executed waiting tactics to perfection.

However, in a gripping finale, the outcome might have been different had the last fence not claimed Ruby Walsh and Valseur Lido. The latter had still to come off the bridle when moving to the head of the field on the approach to the final fence but he paid the price for getting in too close there.

Carlingford Lough staged a phoenix-like revival in his fortunes after failing to beat a rival in two previous outings this season. Indeed there were points in the backstraight when it looked as though he would struggle to make any sort of an impression but Mark Walsh’s decision to bide his time in a race run at an exacting pace on very testing ground paid spectacular dividends.

At the head of the field On His Own cut out a searing pace - especially given the conditions - from Road To Riches, whose jumping wasn’t as fluent as usual, and Foxrock.

For most of the race the order remained unchanged and sensibly Walsh, who did consider pulling up at one point, took his time while the battle was joined between the leaders a long way from home.

After two out, Road To Riches went to the front but on his outer Valseur Lido was travelling especially well and the latter cruised ahead nearing the last. At this stage Carlingford Lough had found his stride and was making good progress to look as though he could challenge for a minor placing.

It was all change after the final fence though and Valseur Lido’s exit meant that Road To Riches enjoyed a short lived spell in front.

Carlingford Lough’s remarkable finishing effort carried him to the front early on the run-in and he proceeded to storm clear and score by a dozen lengths and such was the winner’s finishing effort that Valseur Lido would have been all out to succeed. There was a further eight back to the rank outsider Fine Rightly who posted a superb effort in third. Foxrock took fourth with Gilgamboa fifth.

“I didn’t believe that he could win this race twice. He was in good form but I was just hoping that he would finish in the first four,” exclaimed a delighted Kiely. “I told Mark to ride him to finish and the horse just seemed to find a new lease of life from before the last.

“I’m delighted for Mark. Tony McCoy was inspired on this horse last year but Mark has done a lot of the ground work with this horse. He wasn’t going to put the horse on his head early on and if he had got involved earlier on I don’t think he would have finished.

“I’ll speak to Frank (Berry and J.P. and we’ll just see how the horse comes out of this before deciding where we might go with him.”

A sixth multiple winner of this race, Carlingford Lough has entries in both the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, in which he was ninth last year, and the Grand National at Aintree the following month.

MARK WALSH

Mark Walsh, who was enjoying the biggest success of his career, remarked afterwards: “John Kiely had him spot on for today. They went such a gallop and when we were going by the stands for the first time I had a look up and I knew we were going too quick as we were so spread out.

“At one stage I was nearly going to pull up as he never travelled a yard but once I jumped the second last and passed a horse he just took off. Ruby hadn’t gone for his lad (Valseur Lido) so you never know what’s going to happen but I’m fairly confident I would have won anyway.”

Road To Riches, who was running for the first time since mid-November, appeared to labour on the ground and is now as big as 20/1 for Gold Cup glory following this reversal.

“I was never happy at any stage of the race,” declared Noel Meade. “Bryan felt that the horse was never carrying him and he was never going or jumping with his usual zest. We were concerned about the ground and maybe it had something to do with it.”