Doubters take a plastering
Thus it was for Tralee trainer Tom Cooper yesterday when his oft-dismissed seven-year-old Forpadydeplasterer won the Arkle Chase in gripping fashion under a determined and driving ride by Barry Geraghty.
Cooper, who has been battling to give up cigarettes for some time now, will have to start again after yesterday’s race during which the pressure got to him and he fell back into old habits, but whatever pleasure the nicotine boost gave him, it was nothing like the pleasure he got seeing his horse prove the doubters wrong.
The scenes in the winners’ enclosure as Forpadydeplasterer was led back to a rapturous reception was reminiscent of a time — not too distant — when the Irish seemingly plundered the big Cheltenham prizes at will, but for Cooper that was mere trivia compared to the buzz he got from this victory.
This was his second Cheltenham victory, what with Total Enjoyment having won the bumper in 2004, but this surpassed even that.
As he was chaired shoulder high by the Goat Racing Syndicate, so-named because one of their number, Charlie Chawke, owns their local pub, the Goat Grill in Dublin, there was no doubting how much Cooper was relishing the fact his belief in the horse’s abilities had been repaid.
Having been much-touted for the Ballymore Properties Novices Hurdle last year and come up short and then being defined as the class of the Irish novice chasers earlier this season prior to two particularly disappointing runs, the former dental technician’s faith in his horse was finally fulfilled.
Although run to a neck at the line by the gallant Kalahari King, Forpadydeplasterer, finally confirmed what his trainer has thought all along.
“We always knew he was going to be a chaser and in this his novice chasing year, the Arkle was always the target. We did have a hold-up over Christmas when he missed about twelve days work before the Irish Arkle and then the second day he ran at Leopardstown the ground was just too sticky for him,” a jubilant Cooper reported.
“Even so, I knew that if he got his ground – like he did today – there was a big race in him and I was delighted to get Barry (Geraghty) to ride him here as he was absolutely superb. He is a big man for the big day.
“The horse has always been very talented and I’m just glad he was able to prove that today and prove that he’s as good as the best of them.”
When it was pointed out to the trainer that next year’s Champion Chase was now a live option for the horse, Cooper was not exactly surprised. “Well, he’s a half brother to (three time course and distance winner) Moscow Flyer, so obviously that’s going to be an option. But we’ll get him home first and make sure he is OK before we make any other plans. If that’s the case then we’ll maybe think about Punchestown.”
Jockey Barry Geraghty, who would later in the day spring the surprise of the meeting’s first day by winning the Champion Hurdle on board Punjabi, reckoned that Forpadydeplasterer was every bit as good as Moscow Flyer when he rode him to victory in the same race in 2002. “I rode him on from the second last and he flew that and the last and although he didn’t do too much when he hit the front, he kept it going when Kalahari King came with his challenge,” the jockey reported.
Although the horse was returned at the relatively generous price of 8/1 on the day, Irish bookmakers reported that there was a huge splurge in shops across Ireland on the horse on the day and provided them with a “terrible beating on the day,” according to a Boylesports spokesman.
Whether or not that was the case, rather than bookmaking companies trying to paint a pretty picture for the punters on a day in which everything went right for them (particularly with Cousin Vinny and Binocular getting turned over), it mattered little to Tom Cooper and the many members of the Goat Syndicate.
They always believed – even when most others did not.
