All roads lead to Cheltenham for Don Cossack after Gordon Elliott’s pride and joy continued his fantastic season in a dramatic Ladbrokes Ireland Kinloch Brae Chase in Thurles.
The Co Meath-based trainer has never made any secret of the regard in which he holds the Gigginstown House Stud-owned eight-year-old, declaring after a Fairyhouse bumper win in 2012: “If I was a horse I’d sleep with him, he’s that good.”
After a couple of years of mixed results, he has certainly come of age this term, completing a hat-trick for the campaign in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase in early December.
With Champagne Fever lying in wait at Thurles, a fascinating race was in prospect, and the big two had it between them from a long way out.
Having gone stride for stride over the third- and second-last fences, the two were virtually upsides approaching the final obstacle when 4-5 favourite Champagne Fever knuckled on landing and ended up on the turf.
His exit left 6-4 chance Don Cossack in a league of his own and Bryan Cooper’s mount came home fullly 44 lengths clear of last year’s winner Texas Jack.
Elliott is now looking forward to sending his stable star to Prestbury Park in March, with the Ryanair Chase his likely target.
“He’s done everything right this year and he had a proper test today. He might have been even more of a test than the John Durkan as Champagne Fever is a classy horse,” said the trainer.
“It’s a shame he fell as you don’t know what would have happened, but Bryan thought he had him covered and I was standing at the last (fence) and I thought we had, but you never know and you have to jump.
“He’ll go to Cheltenham. He’s in the three big races, but I’d say all being well it will be the Ryanair.”
The Willie Mullins-trained Champagne Fever was coming back from three miles to two and a half having seemingly failed to get home in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day.
The champion trainer is in no rush to commit to future plans, but owner Rich Ricci hinted his charge could come right back to two miles for a tilt at the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Mullins said: “It was all to play for and certainly wasn’t over. We’ll take him home and see where we go from here.”
Ricci said: “I’d think long and hard now about dropping back to two miles. I just think the way he runs – attack, attack. What a spectacle seeing him and Sprinter Sacre.”
Although out of luck in the feature event, it turned out to be another fine afternoon for the Mullins team, ending the day with three winners.
Surely the most exciting among the trio is Vroum Vroum Mag (1-2 favourite), who completed a hat-trick in the Ricci colours in the Grade Two Leading Light Coolmore National Hunt Sires EBF Mares Novice Chase.
Mullins said: “She gave me a fright at the second-last and jumped the first a bit big, but otherwise was foot-perfect.
“She’s entered in the (OLBG) Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and will be entered in the novice chases, but I’ll have a look at the mares’ chase programme first and she may stay at home instead and run in a Graded chase at Limerick on St Patrick’s Day.”
The champion trainer also claimed the W.T. O'Grady Memorial EBF Novice Hurdle, but it was his apparent second string Measureofmydreams (4-1) who took top honours, turning over long odds-on favourite and stablemate Milsean.
Mullins said: “That was a bit of a surprise – Bryan (Cooper) felt he had the race won and kicked on but Ruby’s horse just stayed on better and maybe he (Measureofmydreams) is better than we thought.”
Former leading Grand National fancy Prince De Beauchene (8-11 favourite) completed the hat-trick by turning the Arctic Tack Stud Hunters Chase into a procession under the trainer's son, Patrick.
Adrian Maguire's mare Knockraha Pylon caused a 66-1 upset in the www.thurlesraces.ie Maiden Hurdle, while Mark Fahey's Golden Plan (4-1) benefited from a confident ride from Shane Butler as he struck gold in the Matty Ryan Memorial Handicap Hurdle.
The Thurles Handicap Chase went to Jimmy Mangan's 11-4 shot Kilcrea, ridden by Davy Russell.
Kevin Sexton was handed a four-day suspension for using his whip with excessive frequency aboard the runner-up, Betterthanalright.
