There’s a reason National Hunt racing is adored and the Punchestown Gold Cup showed exactly why as three chasing warriors served up a late April treat in the sunshine in Ireland, with Cheltenham and Irish Gold Cup winner Sizing John staying on tenaciously in the final strides to master Ruby Walsh and Djakadam and continue Robbie Power and Jessica Harrington’s phenomenal season.
However, this was a race of three musketeers with long-time leader Coneygree, returning from injury and running for the first time since November, making this race a real spectacle by showing his old traits of front-running coupled with electric jumping.
A mistake at the second last ultimately cost his chance but Sizing John and Power still looked to have it do on the run-in despite Walsh and Djakadam making a slight mistake at the final fence. However, Power would not be denied another moment in the sun as he and his willing partner rallied wilfully to score by a short head in a thrilling renewal of the Grade One.
A delighted Power said:
There was no hiding place out there. I was never that happy. I was off the bridle and he felt a bit flat, to tell you the truth. Fair play to the horse. He’s only a seven-year-old and he had to dig deep. I was all out, but he’s a very good horse.
Winning trainer Jessica Harrington commented:
It was a proper race and they went a hell of a gallop from flag-fall. You have to jump and gallop in that race and Robbie wasn’t that happy with him. It was his fifth race since Christmas and it probably just told. All the way around I thought he was not going as well as he was at Cheltenham but he showed sheer guts.
Everything was going against him – he’s also pulled off a front shoe – but he put his head down and battled. It’s very hard to win a Gold Cup and come here but he did it. Robbie gave him a great ride and is riding out of his skin. He sees the strides at the fences, he has great faith in the horse and he instils confidence into the horse. He’s going on his holidays now. He’s only seven and we’ll see where we go next season.
