Road To Riches is Ireland's new big hope for Cheltenham Gold Cup glory in March after a brave Lexus Chase success at Leopardstown which capped a memorable Day Three Christmas festival hat-trick for his owner, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary.
The trio of winners for O'Leary's Gigginstown Stud included another Grade One victory with Lieutenant Colonel and capped a memorable week for jockey Bryan Cooper who also landed the St Stephen's Day feature for his boss on board Clarcam.
It was War of Attrition's 2006 Gold Cup win which fired O'Leary's love affair with jump racing and steeplechasing's "blue-riband" and which continues to be the colourful businessman's ultimate prize. After planting a kiss on Road To Riches' trainer Noel Meade in the winners' enclosure, O'Leary said: "The Gold Cup is another big step up again but we can dare to dream."
Road To Riches had his Cheltenham odds slashed to as low as 8 to 1 by some firms after he beat On His Own and Sam Winner in a driving finish to a race which saw the last two Gold Cup heroes, Lord Windermere and Bobs Worth, finish last and second last.
Other bookmaker reaction was to harden Friday’s King George winner Silviniaco Conti as Gold Cup favourite, but Road To Riches proved himself a valid contender and gives no indication that his rapid rate of improvement is stopping any time soon.
From a Galway Plate victory at the height of the summer to this Christmas feature, by way of another Grade 1 success at Down Royal at the start of November, Road To Riches has climbed to the top of the rankings and vindicated the handicapper who rated him the best chaser in Ireland prior to the Lexus. The horse still had some questions to answer but came through the Lexus test with flying colours under Cooper who was riding him for the first time.
Rich dividends
The 22-year-old endured a nightmare six months out of action with a broken leg sustained at Cheltenham last March but his job as O’Leary’s retained rider has paid rich dividends in recent weeks.
“The race didn’t go exactly to plan but he showed he doesn’t have to be at the front and showed he stays well too,” Cooper said. “They went at a very fast pace and I didn’t want to get in a battle with Sam Winner from two out because he stays so well. But my lad has a touch of class.”
It was a third win in the race for Meade who could send Road To Riches to Cheltenham without another run.
“We did what we always do: let him off and then revved him up again for today. He is improving all the time,” he said. “I would say that was every bit as good a race as the King George and he’s shown he stays. I hope he gets to Cheltenham. He’s a contender.”
Minor honours
On His Own had to settle for minor honours again after compromising his chance by repeatedly jumping right.
Willie Mullins
said: “He enjoys doing that. He is coming right and Boston Bob [fourth] will improve and possibly go for the Hennessy. They both look like going for the Gold Cup.” The champion trainer later introduced an exciting bumper winner in Up For Review who made all to win by 10 lengths. “He’s got everything and showed there what he showed us in his work,” Mullins said.
Lieutenant Colonel is a 10-1 shot for Cheltenham's World Hurdle after beating Jetson in a close finish to a Christmas Hurdle which provided an emotional result for trainer Sandra Hughes, whose father Dessie passed away last month. "Christmas has been very hard but this is a great day and Bryan was brilliant on him," she said.
Cooper also scored in the opening maiden on board the Henry de Bromhead-trained Identity Thief.
