Attrition leaves Irish eyes smiling

St Patrick’s Day celebrations started in style at Cheltenham when Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary saw his horse, War of Attrition, land steeplechasing’s championship event, the £400,000 Totesport Gold Cup.

The gambled-on 15-2 chance ran out an impressive winner of the 22-runner contest, spearheading an Irish-trained 1-2-3 in the race under Conor O’Dwyer.

The jockey, who specialises in big-race success, had been considering retirement from the saddle but may now have to delay his plans to take out a trainer’s licence with this seven-year-old seemingly improving with every start.

O’Dwyer’s previous success in the race came 10 years earlier aboard Imperial Call, but for O’Leary and trainer Mouse Morris it was their first Gold Cup victory.

Leading at the second-last fence, the winner was hard pressed by Ruby Walsh aboard last year’s John Smith’s Grand National hero Hedgehunter.

But despite the attentions of a horse with proven stamina reserves, the winner turned in another fine leap over the final fence and never looked like stopping up the run-in, going on to land the spoils by two and a half lengths.

Forget The Past (9-1) could not quite live with the first two in the closing stages and was seven lengths away in third, just ahead of L’Ami.

But punters who kept faith in previous Cheltenham flop Beef Or Salmon were left disappointed again when th 4-1 favourite turned in another lifeless effort and eventually trailed home 11th.

O’Dwyer, who finished third aboard Hardy Eustace in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle on the opening day of the meeting, said of his retirement plans: “I’d hate to be at home sat watching it on the television next year with someone else riding this horse.

“He was something else. He jumped each fence absolutely impeccably. I knew he had plenty in the tank from the way he pinged the last two.

“He jumped super and we had a great run. I had to come wide when a loose horse went by us but he is only a second-season novice so I didn’t want to be too tight on him either.

“When I wanted to go he was able to go, which was a huge plus.”

War of Attrition came to the race a fresh horse, having not run for 79 days after a mid-season spell of sickness hit the stable.

But Morris was confident he had got his charge back to his best and ready for a crack at the big race, rather than the alternative of running in the race sponsored by O’Leary – the two mile, five furlong Ryanair Chase – earlier at the meeting.

“He was sick, very sick, when he was well beaten at Punchestown in December,” Morris said.

“But he ran well to be second to Beef Or Salmon in the Lexus only 14 days after that and then we basically had a clear run with him.

“When he ran in the Arkle last year he came here with just two runs under his belt. One mistake in the Arkle and you’re history. He made a mistake and that was that.

“But I always thought he had what it takes. He’s got so much boot that he was only beaten a short-head by Brave Inca over hurdles.

“If you get a horse with that much boot who does stay then you’ve got a serious horse and that’s what he is.”

O’Leary, who said he had left the decision over the final Festival target to Morris and O’Dwyer, paid tribute to his trainer’s hard work.

“It was amazing!” he said. “When you have a horse who has had training problems and who comes out and wins the Gold Cup then you’ve got to say it was a brilliant performance from Mouse.

“My brother Eddie bought this horse about four years ago and always thought he would have a chance in this race. But I thought he was dreaming. I have only got about 10 or 12 horses in training and to win the Gold Cup is a dream come true.

“To be honest I was pretty calm today. I felt under a lot more pressure last year when we were the Irish banker in the Arkle and we let people down.”