Dublin Racing Festival: Kemboy takes Gold Cup but Stayers Hurdle may be Cheltenham target

Quite what this result amounts to in terms of the Cheltenham Gold Cup is difficult to ascertain

Sun, 07 Feb, 2021 - 16:22

Tommy Lyons

Saturday belonged to Willie Mullins at the Dublin Racing Festival and bar an early intrusion by Gordon Elliott, so too did Sunday.

When Kemboy made all the running to win the Paddy Power Gold Cup under a confident ride by Danny Mullins, the winning trainer emulated Saturday’s haul of three Grade 1 races.

Only five went to post in the feature, and Kemboy, who was arguably a shade unlucky when runner-up in the Savills Chase here in December, set out to make amends. His jumping was never spectacular, but it was more fluent than that of favourite Minella Indo, who chased him for most of the journey.

Able to hold that one at bay at all crucial stages during the race, he quickened down to the last fence and gave everything as The Storyteller threatened to get on terms.

Quite what this result amounts to in terms of the Cheltenham Gold Cup is difficult to ascertain and it shouldn’t have a huge impact on the ante-post market, but it was another high-class run from Kemboy, was comprehensively turned the tables on last year’s winner, Delta Work, who finished a never-dangerous third on this occasion.

Interestingly, the winning trainer was quick to point towards the Stayers Hurdle as the more likely target for the winner, pointing out concerns about his record over fences at the Festival.

“Terrific day for connections of Kemboy, after coming out of the Supreme Racing debacle that happened,” said Mullins.

“He surprised me on that ground. And I’m delighted for Danny to get a nice winner at this festival. He’s always very positive, his glass is always half full. He’s the hardest working guy in the game.

“We’ve entered the horse in the Stayers Hurdle and the Gold Cup. We’re just worried about his record around Cheltenham over fences. We may have a rethink, but we’ll see what happens.”

If there is an argument that Appreciate It wasn’t quite as impressive as at Christmas, the same cannot be argued of stablemate Monkfish, who was quite superb in the Grade 1 Flogas Novice Chase.

Old foe Latest Exhibition renewed rivalry for a third meeting between the two and once again he was closest market rival. Through the race, he was almost always the nearest pursuer to Monkfish, but the latter set off in front and jumped like an old hand.

Unlike at Christmas, when he had to be hard ridden to hold Latest Exhibition at bay, on this occasion Willie Mullins’ horse was in complete control all the way and skipped clear at Paul Townend’s leisure to extend his previously narrow superiority over Latest Exhibition to 11 lengths.

“What do you say after a performance like that?” asked Mullins.

“Paul thought he should be in the next race (Irish Gold Cup). I was more impressed today than any other day, it looks like he might be getting better with each run. Everything is just so effortless. He jumps, gallops, seems to be in the right position, and has huge scope.”

Townend, similarly exhilarated, said: “I hope it looked as fun as it felt for me because all I had to do was sit there and steer him, to be honest. The loose horse took me on and set him alight a little bit, but I wasn’t worried because he’s just a very good horse.

“He was winging away and, to be honest, even here the last day I was always confident I was going to beat Bryan (Cooper, on Latest Exhibition). It didn’t look it – when I watched it back, I could see what people were saying – but it’s the feel that he gives me: he’s not a plodder, he has a little bit of class.”

On a weekend on which he won six Grade 1s, the William Fry Handicap Hurdle may rank low on Willie Mullins’ list of priorities, but it is a €100,000 race and he won it with the Conor McNamara-ridden Maze Runner, who runs in the colours of the trainer’s wife, Jackie.