Allaho’s superb Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup victory on Wednesday supplied diehard jumping fans with perfect debate material while the supposedly effete flat game winds its way through the summer.
The dual-Ryanair Chase winner translated his power and class to three miles with rare aplomb on day two of the festival, putting 14 lengths and more between himself and a field of Grade One winners as a 6-5 favourite.
It was the centrepiece of a Grade One hat-trick for Willie Mullins who scored with two other Cheltenham festival winners in Facile Vega and The Nice Guy.
For good measure the festival kingpin also scored with the handicap topweight Royal Rendezvous but there was no budging Allaho’s rout from centre stage.
His performance was a lot of things but hardly subtle. Making no allowance for any pre-race stamina worries, Allaho and Paul Townend simply went straight to the lead and overpowered their opposition.
With all of six fences to jump no less than the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup Minella Indo cried enough and was pulled up. Both the dual “Blue Riband” hero Al Boum Photo and last year’s winner …
- April 28, 2022
