The youngest horse and the oldest jockey proved the perfect combination at Punchestown yesterday as War Of Attrition and Conor O'Dwyer added the festival feature to last month's memorable Cheltenham Gold Cup triumph. Brian O'Connor at Punchestown
Ireland's latest chasing superstar didn't quite saunter to Guinness Gold Cup glory in the manner of last year's winner Kicking King but the two-and-a-half-length defeat of the 2004 hero Beef Or Salmon was no less impressive for that.
Along with his stable companion Hi Cloy, Beef Or Salmon presented a real challenge to War Of Attrition and one that would have found any chinks in the armour of the young champion. But no doubt to the delight of his owner, the Ryanair supremo Michael O'Leary, War Of Attrition is increasingly looking like a deal that is very real indeed.
Certainly Conor O'Dwyer thinks so and at 40 years of age, nearly six times older than his partner, he is no mood to vacate the hottest seat in jump racing. Only the very best can provoke the sort of confidence the jockey showed yesterday.
No one else wanted to make the running so O'Dwyer decided to do it the hard way. Not once during a spectacular display of jumping did it look like the gun he was putting to War Of Attrition's head was too big. A spectacular leap at the third last sealed matters and there was a style to the way the partnership crossed the line that made sense of the 9 to 2 quotes about a Cheltenham repeat in 2007.
"I think he was checking to see I was awake at the third last!" beamed O'Dwyer whose easy manner has never disguised a cool eye when it comes to assessing talent. "I've always said he is a proper, proper horse. Since he has started jumping I cannot remember him making a mistake."
Asked if War Of Attrition is the best he has ridden, O'Dwyer, whose CV also includes a Gold Cup on Imperial Call and two Champion Hurdles on Hardy Eustace, simply smiled and said: "He stands out because he can be ridden any way and has no holes in him."
No doubt it helps that trainer "Mouse" Morris has the same sort of confidence in O'Dwyer. "Conor has a free hand with tactics. I don't give instructions," he said. "After all he's as old as I am - only he's a better jockey than I ever was!"
Questions about plans for next year were cheerfully postponed by the winning team but Michael Hourigan is already thinking ahead for Beef Or Salmon and Hi Cloy. "Beef Or Salmon has run a cracker. He just doesn't have the speed for that ground anymore. But on soft he will still be a big contender," he said. "Hi Cloy got the three miles alright and we'll up him in trip next season."
Ruby Walsh confirmed his hold on the jockeys' championship with a sparkling treble highlighted by Euro Leader's victory in the handicap chase. "He appreciated that better ground and deserves a crack at the Galway Plate," said Willie Mullins who also won the opener with Josephine Cullen.
Brogella finally ended a frustrating run of seconds when grinding out a two-length defeat of Chicago Vic in the Grade Three mares hurdle and at the end of the day, Walsh was on the 88-winner mark, eight ahead of Barry Geraghty.
Nina Carberry will be crowned champion amateur for the first time when the season ends on Saturday but a highlight of the year will surely be her win in the Paddy Power Champion Bumper on board the unbeaten Leading Run. The seven year old's career has been blighted by injury and it was only at the insistence of the Co Meath owner-breeder Moira McGrath that Noel Meade finally agreed to risk him on the ground.
"I was afraid of my life of the ground and I would have pulled him out only for the owner," Meade conceded. "But he's a helluva horse. He worked the last day with Iktitaf, Sweet Wake and Nicanor. That's the class he is."
Jockey Mick Darcy was probably buying lottery tickets last evening after Tigerlion ran out a very fortunate winner of the novice chase. The exit of both Rubberdubber and Brutto Facie at the second last looked to leave the way clear for the joint favourite Tiger Cry but he came down at the final fence leaving jockey David Casey with a suspected fractured wrist. Tigerlion then had to survive a stewards inquiry after crossing the runner-up on the run in. Another Cheltenham winner to double up was Whyso Mayo who held off General Striker in the Champion Hunters.
Yesterday's crowd of 21,057 was up almost 900 on the 2005 figure. It contributed to a bumper day for the bookmakers with a turnover figure of €3,267,672 compared to €2,857,292 last year. That included €613,026 on the big race alone. However, Tote turnover was down for the second day running with yesterday's total of €912,893 down over quarter of a million on last year.
