RACING PUNCHESTOWN REPORT: ONE OF racing's oldest sayings that "they never come back" could be about to be tested with a vengeance after War Of Attrition's hugely impressive comeback victory over Kicking King at Punchestown yesterday.
The battle of Ireland's last two Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes turned into a 19-length rout for War Of Attrition despite the Grade Three Star Chase being his first start in 659 days.
Under his new jockey Davy Russell, the 2006 Gold Cup hero hardly put a foot wrong and there was enough in the performance for Ladbrokes to slap a 25 to 1 quote on War Of Attrition to regain the Cheltenham crown.
Trainer Mouse Morris was having none of that, however, and declared: "I just hope he is sound in the morning - that's his next race. I've a plan in the back of my head but I don't want to push the boat out too far just yet. If he's sound in the morning, I'll tell everyone!"
War Of Attrition's owner, Michael O'Leary, was anxious about the way his champion jumped to the left but the horse's former rider, Conor O'Dwyer, was a less worried onlooker.
"He used to do that with me when he was idling. But when you got stuck in he was awesome," O'Dwyer grinned. "I'll have to see if I can get my licence back!"
The Kicking King camp were just as impressed with the winner but Tom Taaffe wasn't putting up any white-flag just yet and will run the 2005 Gold Cup winner at Thurles in three weeks.
"We are in the twilight zone with him, no mistake, but there is still plenty of life in him. He just got tired today," he says. "If Thurles goes well for him I think we will go back to Kempton (King George) because he must have good ground."
No horse has ever recovered the Cheltenham Gold Cup crown after losing it, but Taaffe summed up yesterday's mood with: "What can I say. You would have to be impressed with the winner."
If the feature was a stroll, then the day's other Grade Three was the exact opposite as the odds-on favourite, Trafford Lad, got the Buck House Chase in the stewards room after losing a dramatic finish by a short head to the outsider Rare Bob.
Ruby Walsh had to switch his whip in the closing stages and Trafford Lad's trainer, Dusty Sheehy, said: "We had to get it. He was carried half-way across the track. He was ready to run but will improve and he wants to go further."
Bookmaker reaction was to leave Trafford Lad unchanged at 20 to 1 for the SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham.
