Conflated was the lowest rated horse going into Saturday’s Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup but emerged a Grade 1 star by winning the €250,000 feature on Day One of the Dublin Racing Festival.
On a day otherwise dominated by Willie Mullins who scored a Grade 1 hat-trick, with 12,957 in attendance, Conflated confounded official ratings with an 18-1 success under Davy Russell.
Carrying the Gigginstown Stud colours of Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary, he grabbed the initiative from the English star Frodon at the third last and proved impossible to catch up the Leopardstown hill.
No less than the Cheltenham Gold Cup holder Minella Indo went in pursuit but despite the energy expended in his early move Conflated still had six and a half lengths in hand at the line with Janidil in third.
It represented a massive jump in performance for the winner who’d previously won a handicap at Navan in December off a mark of just 145.
A 12lb hike in his mark still had Conflated rated behind all seven of his rivals including an 18lb gap to Minella Indo.
Beforehand the 2020 winner Delta Work appeared to be the No 1 hope for O’Leary and trainer Gordon Elliott but it ultimately proved to be Conflated - labeled “a bit kinky” by connections - who emerged on top.
Having finished runner up to his great rival Mullins in all three earlier Grade 1 races, Elliott was entitled to feel vindicated by the surprise outcome.
Gigginstown’s Eddie O’Leary admitted he had to be persuaded not to wait for a handicap on Sunday while Russell admitted to being “very surprised.”
Elliott’s hunch however means he emerged from Saturday’s action with another Cheltenham Gold Cup contender to join the Christmas winner Galvin.
Conflated was cut to as low as 7-1 to complete a remarkable transformation from handicapper to ‘Blue Riband’ hero at Cheltenham next month.
“We were thinking of going for a handicap but thankfully Eddie and Michael let me run him in this.
“I wanted to find out where I was going, how good or bad he was. I know he’s a horse with a massive engine but he can be very hot and cold.
“I said to Eddie before the race that he’d either win or pull up!” Elliott said.
Conflated proved to be on his best behavior and travelled stylishly to the second last where Russell committed.
“It was either one or the other - I was either gone too soon or they would never catch me. To be fair to the horse he kept responding. The more I pulled out of him, the more he responded,” said the veteran former champion jockey.
“He jumped super and did everything really, really well. He jumped straight as a die. He can hang a bit but nothing today,” added Russell who subsequently got a two-day suspension for his use of the whip.
Last year’s winner Kemboy and Frodon exchanged the lead in the early stages but faded quickly when the tempo increased.
It was much more encouraging for Minella Indo who improved from a fourth in this race last year to land the ultimate prize at Cheltenham five week later.
Henry De Bromhead was happy with how the horse ran after his King George flop over Christmas.
“I got it wrong going to Kempton. I think he’ll come on again for that today. Whether it’s this time of year I’ve no idea but he just seems to come alive in Cheltenham. He’s a better horse there.
“It was great Robbie (Power) rode him today and they seemed to get on well. I thought he clicked with him really well,” De Bromhead said.
Irish Arkle
Earlier Elliott had endured the frustration of finishing runner-up to Mullins in a trio of Grade 1 contests including when Blue Lord just held on from Riviere D’etel in a desperate finish to the Irish Arkle.
Rivere D’etel looked to have just got the measure of Blue Lord only to blunder the last.
Paul Townend quickly grabbed the initiative to lead although Blue Lord cut across his rival and forcing Jack Kennedy to switch.
The mare rallied to such effect there was only a neck in it at the line and the stewards held an lengthy enquiry. There was little surprise though that there was no alteration with the stewards feeling the winner hadn’t improved his position with the interference.
Kennedy had salt rubbed in when getting a four-day suspension for his use of the whip.
Townend was also on board Vauban in the Juvenile Hurdle and the French recruit broke his maiden in style by three lengths from the favourite Fil Dor.
Vauban jumped noticeably to his right at times and Mullins anticipates improvement from a horse that is now 2-1 joint-favourite with Pied Piper for the Triumph at Cheltenham.
Pied Piper beat Vauban at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve.
“We’re delighted he put it all together and he learned and got his experience today,” Mullins said.
“It’s a nice way to break your maiden. I don’t know if many horses have broken their maiden in a Grade 1 but it’s a nice achievement anyhow,” he added.
Townend got it wrong in the opening Lacy Partners Novice Hurdle, opting to ride Bronn and missing out on Minella Cocooner’s all-the-way victory.
Danny Mullins stepped in on the 11-1 shot and stacked his rivals up before the second last before setting sail and running out a two and three quarter winner over Minella Crooner.
“Danny was very good on him in front. He got some tremendous jumps from him and got breathers into him and paced it beautifully,” the champion trainer said.
Minella Cocoonor was cut to a general 6-1 to graduate to Cheltenham festival success next month in the Albert Bartlett.
The Mullins team ended Day 1 of the weekend’s action with a fourth success when Facile Vega trounced his opposition in the Grade 2 bumper.
The son of top mare Quevega made it two from two with a supremely authoritative victory 12 length victory at 8-11 odds.
“He’s even better than I thought he was. He looks the real deal,” Mullins said.
Facile Vega is odds on in some lists to follow up in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.
