"He's a monster" - Allaho floors Punchestown Gold Cup rivals

Allaho put up an imperious display when proving his stamina in no uncertain terms in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup.

The dual Ryanair Chase winner had not run over three miles since meeting with defeat in the Savills Chase of 2020 – and in the interim he had well and truly shown himself to be the best chaser in training over two and a half miles.

Willie Mullins even dropped him in distance to two miles at this meeting last year, but following on from another dominant performance at Cheltenham the champion trainer was confident enough to go up in trip.

Paul Townend rode him as if there was absolutely no doubt about his stamina and so it proved.

Last year’s winner Clan Des Obeaux and Harry Cobden were determined not to allow Allaho an easy lead and raced with him for the first two miles, but from a long way out Townend began to wind up the pace.

It proved too much for Minella Indo who was pulled up a long way from home, while Galvin was another well-fancied runner who never got on terms.

Al Boum Photo and Kemboy, stablemates of the winner, both travelled well for a long way but from three out were chasing in vain.

Townend was still on the bridle as he popped over the second-last when Clan Des Obeaux looked tired and a mistake from Kemboy cost him any chance.

Allaho got in tight to the last – his only slight mistake – but the 6-5 favourite had 14 lengths in hand over Clan Des Obeaux, who deserved plenty of credit for attempting to make a race of it. Al Boum Photo was third, with Kemboy fourth.

Allaho is 8-1 from 20s for the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Betfair – a race won this year by A Plus Tard, also owned by Cheveley Park Stud.

Mullins said: "Paul didn't take any prisoners there, he told me he was going to jump out and he said to me 'He'll stay won't he?', to which I replied 'Of course he will!'.

"So that was his plan, Al Boum wanted to jump out too and so did Kemboy, but Paul said he wanted to jump out over the first two and see who would be with him and ride a race from there. As it turns out only Clan Des Obeaux was able to stay with him.

"Bryan Cooper rode Al Boum Photo and said he'd never ridden in a faster Gold Cup in his life, it was end-to-end and good to see.

"He just got beaten as a novice at Cheltenham over three miles when he was up in front taking something on, but he's a lot more mature now.

"I don't know about the King George, I'll talk to Richard Thompson (of Cheveley Park), but that opens up a lot more options for him now. You could probably say King George the way he jumps.

"He has some engine and I just hoped he could do what he did there today. I was a bit worried he could only do that over two and a half, but now he can do it over three and he'll be more mature next year. He's only eight.

"We've Galopin Des Champs as well (for the Gold Cup) but we know from experience... hopefully they'll be there next spring. In the jumps game horses don't always come round the following season, hopefully these two do. We've Capodanno after yesterday as well.

"I don't know about three and a quarter (miles) for Allaho, but I do think he's better going left-handed. That extra quarter-mile is tough when you know what he can do over two and a half."

Townend was forced to choose not to ride Al Boum Photo for the first time since 2019 but he beamed afterwards: “He (Allaho) is a monster, isn't he?

"He wasn’t left at every fence. He was just correcting himself, which he has done before. I didn’t want to interfere with him galloping but at the same time I wasn’t gonna give him a root in the belly and set him alight three from home but fair play to Willie for rolling the dice and the owners. He’s obviously an older and stronger horse now.

“They were always going to test if he stayed or not but he can take horses out of their comfort zone.

“Any winner here, with the crowd back is brilliant. Punchestown is a massive festival and it’s even better when you’re riding for Willie Mullins.”