Beef or Salmon takes Heineken Gold Cup

Beef Or Salmon produced a near faultless round of jumping to take the Punchestown Heineken Gold Cup today.

Michael Hourigan’s eight-year-old was always travelling well after being settled towards the back of the field by Timmy Murphy, and came cruising up after the second-last to challenge the leader, First Gold.

Murphy only had to kick on and Beef Or Salmon accelerated away in fine style before producing another perfect leap at the last to win cosily by four lengths and justify 5-4 favouritism.

First Gold, who had been engaged in a tussle up front with Harbour Pilot, just faded out of second spot after the last.

Hourigan was thrilled with the performance and felt Beef Or Salmon was back to his best.

“That was brilliant. He jumped brilliant and Timmy said there was never a worry,” he said.

“The whole team has worked very hard on him. He’s had physiotherapy from my daughter and has been doing dressage.

“He had a muscle that was hurting him and the dressage has him moving every muscle, which allowed him to be more free at his fences today. He was like that when he was younger, he was a great jumper.

“Timmy is a very patient rider and a super jockey. We will go down the same route with him next year with the Lexus, the Hennessy and the Gold Cup.”

Paul Carberry, Harbour Pilot’s rider, felt the slightly drier ground has counted against his mount.

“The ground was a bit quick for him and he hangs a bit when going right-handed. I’m making allowances but it was still a big run,” he said.

First Gold’s rider Thierry Doumen also offered the ground as an excuse for his defeat.

He added: “It was faster ground than I would have liked and they were too quick.”