Gaelic Warrior leads home Mullins 1-2-3 in Gold Cup Gaelic Warrior proved beyond any doubt that he is the best staying chaser in training when romping away with the featured Grade 1 Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup on the second day of the festival. What had been billed as another head-to-head with stablemate Fact To File failed to materialise, as the latter was headed after three out and, had no more to offer from the penultimate fence. To his credit, he stuck on well for minor honours, with fellow Mullins inmate Grangeclare West completing a clean sweep back in third. However, there was really only one horse in it, as similar to Cheltenham, the Mrs Susannah Ricci owned 5/6f barely had to be taken off the bridle in posting an emphatic 26 length victory. Winning jockey Paul Townend said: "Super! He went to the start fairly full of himself now and, I was a little bit worried when I got down there and, I probably but a bit more emphasis on settling him today. "Once we got over a couple of fences he settled lovely. He's an iron horse to be honest because it's so hard to dance all the dances he has and, put up the performances he has and, produce it again today." Rich Ricci added: “I haven’t seen it yet but I heard it was good! Willie was pleased. “We’ve never won this race before. It was very sporting of JP to run his horse, the ground probably didn’t suit him but he’s a fantastic horse. “I’m so pleased to win it. I’ve not been here since Ruby retired in 2019. I’ve been busy and we had covid and those kind of things. “The people here are brilliant and I’m thrilled to win the race. I couldn’t be more delighted. Joe Chambers as well as Willie and Paul and the rest of the team deserve a lot of credit and I’m thrilled for everyone. “I didn’t watch it but Joe said we were going well. It felt like it was never in doubt and I’m looking forward to watching it.” Willie Mullins said: “It was a huge performance. 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 seemed 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 allowed Fact To File to take him on. It made for a memorable day. “Both horses got the run of the race the way they wanted to. Fact To File got a nice time in front and Paul was able to settled his fella in. Both jockeys got to ride their horse the way they wanted to. There were no excuses.” On the winner’s busy schedule, he added: “He started off here in November and then on to Kempton, Dublin Racing Festival, Cheltenham and here. “It’s always my philosophy that if you have the horses and the sponsors put up nice money you should go for it. “I try and run them as much as I can when we have nice opportunities.” Paddy Power went 2/1f (from 3/1) Gaelic Warrior 2027 Gold Cup. Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
