Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1)

A MESMERISING weekend for Willie Mullins, who produced a remarkable show of strength over the course of the two days, appropriately featured a victory in the eighth and final Grade 1 over the two days as a resurgent Kemboy got back into the big time.

A big race regular and a top-class chaser at his best, Kemboy hadn’t won since May 2019 but had posted a number of very honourable efforts in the interim and his agonising defeat in the Savills Chase here at Christmas suggested he was far from done with as a top-level chaser.

Kemboy faced just four rivals in what was a numerically disappointing turnout for the day’s €200,000 feature but the ability that carried this nine-year-old to that memorable success over Al Boum Photo at 2019 Punchestown Festival still burns brightly.

The assumption immediately afterwards was that this win could act as the springboard to another Gold Cup challenge from Kemboy but his trainer instead indicated that the Stayers’ Hurdle, for which he is entered is a viable option.

While unusual, this route is not unprecedented as Mullins won this race with Rule Supreme in 2005 before sending him out to finish third to Inglis Drever in that season’s Stayers’ Hurdle. If Kemboy heads in that direction he is likely to face the runner-up from this race as well with The Storyteller set to head for the staying hurdling championship next month.

An 11th winner of this race for his trainer, Kemboy was providing Danny Mullins with perhaps the very finest moment of his career as he took the mount on this gelding for the first time in over three years.

Over the course of his chasing career Kemboy has repeatedly shown just how dangerous he can be from the front and those were the tactics that his jockey was content to use on the Brett Graham, Ken Sharp and Kemboy Syndicate-owned gelding.

Anxious moments

The 11/4 second favourite dictated the race from the outset and his supporters didn’t have too many anxious moments apart from the leader getting in close to the second last fence with a circuit to run. Otherwise, Kemboy was assured and when the chasing Minella Indo hit the second last the leader was in control.

Minella Indo was unable to rally from there, neither Delta Work or Melon could pick up to any great extent and it was left to the admirable The Storyteller to lead the chase. Hard as he tried though, the latter couldn’t find a way past and he went down by two lengths. There wasa gap of four and a half lengths back to Delta Work.

Hard worker

“I’m delighted for the horse’s connections and Danny too. He’s the hardest working guy in the game and deserves absolutely everything that comes his way. The horse has surprised me on that ground but he’s getting stronger with age and he was just very good. The change of tactics didn’t work on Melon and I think he prefer to get on with things,” said Mullins.

“The horse’s jumping was very good today and I’m just delighted to win this again. I’m not sure if fences around Cheltenham are his thing so he’s entered in the Stayers’. We’ve just been wondering should we try something different with him at Cheltenham as it hasn’t been his luckiest track,” concluded Mullins.