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Carlingford Lough lands dramatic Irish Gold Cup

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Carlingford Lough and Mark Walsh celebrate

Mark Walsh: celebrates his third Grade 1 win on Carlingford Lough

  PICTURE: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)  

 By Stuart Riley 3:48PM 6 FEB 2016 

Report: Leopardstown, Saturday

Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1) 3m½f, 5yo+

CARLINGFORD LOUGH made it back-to-back victories in the Grade 1 Irish Gold Cup, coming from last to first to land a highly eventful race under a well-timed ride by Mark Walsh.

This was a race that had everything. A tearaway pacesetter, a tenacious favourite, a strong-travelling Willie Mullins horse delivered with perfect timing by Ruby Walsh, a final fence exit and a late charge from last year’s winner.

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On His Own cut out the early running but a bad mistake at the second last put paid to his chances and left the 5-4 favourite Road To Riches in front turning for home.

Walsh loomed alongside on Valseur Lido and went to the last in front, having not moved a muscle and looking like he had the fellow Gigginstown-owned favourite in trouble. But a bad blunder saw Walsh exit through the side door.

Valseur-lido-360

Ruby Walsh and Valseur Lido agonisingly part company at the last

  PICTURE: racingfotos.com  

Whether Valseur Lido would have won is open to question however as while he seemingly had Road To Riches held, and Walsh was yet to ask for his finishing effort, Carlingford Lough was finishing fast under another Walsh – Mark, who considered pulling up his mount after the fourth last but persisted to land his third career Grade 1.

He jumped the last a few lengths down but was soon in the lead and powered 12 lengths clear to follow up last year’s success at a largely overlooked 20-1.

The potential finishing order had Valseur Lido produced an adequate leap at the last will be debated long and hard, but Walsh’s final fence exit certainly robbed the race of a pulsating finish.

‘Mark said he was going to pull up’

John Kiely said: “I was hoping he might run in the first four. I told Mark to ride him to finish the race as well as he could and because of the pace they went I thought he mighn’t get home. But he got a new lease going to the last and won really well.”

Mark Walsh with AP McCoy

Mark Walsh with Sir Anthony McCoy after his tenacious impersonation

  PICTURE: Alain Barr (racingpost.com/photos)  

JP McManus’s racing manager Frank Berry added: “He’s in the Gold Cup and we’ll think about it but he’s in the Grand National and that might the race for him.

“Mark [Walsh, jockey] said he was going to pull him up about three out but he started to pass a few horses and after looking as if he would finish a long way behind he’s gone and won the race for the second year running.”

Noel Meade was disappointed by Road To Riches. He said: “Watching the race I was never happy and Bryan [Cooper – jockey] came back and said the horse was never really carrying him. We always feared the ground and maybe that contributed to the way he ran. We’ll see how he comes out of it and then make plans.”

Gold Cup price changes

Road To Riches was pushed out to 20-1 after his defeat, while Valseur Lido was trimmed into the same price and is as short as 10-1 in a place. The winner’s price ranges from 14-1 to 25-1.

 

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