The rejuvenated Imperial Call continued his winning run with a defeat of Dorans Pride at Punchestown yesterday and is now on target for Kempton's King George VI Chase.
A straightforward enough outcome to the John Durkan Memorial Chase you might think, but as many questions were raised as answered.
Dorans Pride's jumping appeared slow throughout and future plans are fluid, the front-running Imperial Call didn't pull right away as the old model might have, and only two and a half lengths behind was the handicapper, Bob Treacy, who before yesterday was rated almost 40lb behind the principals.
Indeed had Bob Treacy not made a hash of the last fence, all the pre-race talk of a match could have been made to look distinctly embarrassing.
"He was back on the bit coming to the last but everything, including the reins, went at the last," reported Bob Treacy's rider Norman Williamson.
The bookmakers quickly made Bob Treacy the favourite for the lucrative Paddy Power Chase over Christmas but understandably the effect yesterday's race had on the Gold Cup market was less dramatic.
Sean Graham's cut Imperial Call six points to 14 to 1, the same mark as Dorans Pride, while Ladbrokes made the pair 12 to 1. However, Ladbrokes also cut the favourite, Florida Pearl, to 7 to 2, and should he make a winning reappearance in Leopardstown's Ericsson Chase, Florida Pearl is likely to end up at price that would make Kate Moss seem bloated.
"If Florida Pearl wins impressively he will be 6 to 4 for the Gold Cup, which is a race that lends itself to a second-season novice," said the Ladbrokes betting guru Mike Dillon. "Dorans Pride's jumping doesn't seem to have improved but Imperial Call's attitude impressed me. However, he might be better suited to the King George instead of taking on the big guns in the Ericsson."
That was also the thinking of Imperial Call's West Cork-based trainer 23-year-old Raymond Hurley, who has now prepared the former Gold Cup winner to win three of his four starts this season.
"It will be the Ericsson or the King George and my preference is the King George. He really seemed to enjoy it today under another great ride from Paul (Carberry)," said Hurley.
Imperial Call was headed only briefly at the fourth last by Bob Treacy, who ran a blinder, but it was only on the run-in that Dorans Pride even briefly threatened to justify favouritism.
"He hit the third very hard and took a long time to get going afterwards. The ground didn't help and he just wasn't jumping," reported Richard Dunwoody to Michael Hourigan, who admitted to being not totally surprised.
"He probably was a bit short and the fitter horse beat him. He would have preferred even wetter ground to that tacky stuff. I'm not too disappointed," said Hourigan.
Two earlier winners for Carberry, both trained by Noel Meade, had brought the jockey's seasonal total to 49, just two behind his rival, Ruby Walsh, in the table. Meade also seemed confident that both winners could contribute again.
"He's got speed and he stays. He's pretty decent," said Meade after Native Dara had easily taken the novices hurdle; and Graham's reacted by making the winner 33 to 1 for the SunAlliance at Cheltenham.
Roses Of Picardy made her stamina tell in the closing stages of the opener, while Brian's Delight took advantage of a bad mistake by the favourite, Section Seven, at the fourth last in the Conyngham Cup to win the big amateur race by a length.
Risk Of Thunder's profitable association with Punchestown continued on Saturday when the Enda Bolger-trained gelding recorded his eighth success over the unique cross-country course. Sent off at the prohibitive odds of 4 to 11, the nine-year-old son of Strong Gale led from the start for an extremely easy win.
Istabraq will have a new post-Cheltenham target in 1999 as the new fourth day of the Punchestown festival will be highlighted by a new £110,000 race.
The Grade One Shell Champion Hurdle, to be run on April 30th, will be the richest race of its category ever run in Ireland. The contest will be run over two miles and will bring the total prizemoney at the Punchestown festival to almost £1 million.
