Irish joy as Don Cossack lands Cheltenham Gold Cup

The tyranny of choice turned into glorious Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup vindication for Bryan Cooper as the Michael O'Leary-owned Don Cossack provided his 23-year-old jockey with a spectacular success in steeplechasing's greatest prize.

Weeks of agonising over which of the two ‘Dons’ owned by O’Leary’s Gigginstown Stud he should ride ended when Cooper eventually opted for Don Cossack over Don Poli and his judgement proved to be spot on.

Don Cossack, the 9-4 favourite, powered clear of Djakadam, with Don Poli a never dangerous third, in an Irish clean-sweep that gave O’Leary a second Gold Cup victory, a decade after the first, War Of Attrition.

For the fourth year in a row, and a sixth time in all, Willie Mullins again had to settle for the runner-up spot in the race he covets most, leaving his nearest rival in Ireland's training ranks, Gordon Elliott, to win it with his first ever Gold Cup runner.

On a day when the former Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton captured a lot of hearts, and a lot of attention, with her fifth place finish in the Foxhunters Chase, there was still no doubting Cooper’s status the happiest jockey in Cheltenham.

As an 11-year-old boy he helped lead up the horse his father, Tom, trained to win here, in 2004, and dreamed of Gold Cup glory: when it mattered most, in the race that matters most, he got it right, bringing to mind the name of his father’s 2004 winner – Total Enjoyment.

“I couldn’t believe I was going so easy. He could have gone around again,” exclaimed Cooper, whose Cheltenham experience has run the gamut of emotions in recent years.

Two years ago he suffered a horribly broken leg in a fall at the festival. In 2015 Cooper received criticism for his Ryanair Chase ride on Don Cossack, which even recently Elliott still decried as “deplorable,” and wound up going home with 16 days worth of suspensions from the stewards.

Even earlier this week, the powerful Gigginstown operation had had to settle for one relatively minor winner and their star novice, No More Heroes, had to be put down after sustaining fatal injuries in Wednesday’s RSA.

But everything was forgotten when Don Cossack dominated the Gold Cup’s closing stages to an extent that even Cue Card’s fall at the third last fence – which finished a dream of a million pound bonus for his connections – didn’t look likely to have interfered with the final result.

Hindsight is always perfect but Cooper’s delight also looked to contain an element of relief.

“It wasn’t an easy pick. What decided it for me was the ground. I think people might have backed Don Poli more as they thought I’d chosen wrong. But we got it right when it mattered,” he said.

“I can’t thank Michael and Eddie O’Leary enough. From the time I broke my leg here they have supported me. Last year was hit and miss but they really stuck by me, which filled me full of confidence,” Cooper added.

Michael O’Leary said his ultimate goal with most every horse he buys is to win the Gold Cup and conceded he never thought he would win it again.

“All that’s different from War Of Attrition is that I’m 10 years older,” he beamed. “One winner here makes your week: the Gold Cup makes a decade. And it’s brilliant for Bryan – not bad for 23!”

A decade previously, Co Meath-based Elliott had just taken out a trainer’s licence: within a year the panel-beater’s son had won the Grand National. This Gold Cup victory for the horse he once labelled an “aeroplane” further cemented his place at the top of the racing tree.

“I’ve never been so nervous in my life,” he admitted afterwards. “It means so much to win this.”

It was Elliott’s third win of a week dominated by his great rival, Mullins, who drew a final day blank yet still won the leading trainer award with seven winners, the same as Ruby Walsh who landed his 10th leading rider award.

Two other Irish-trained winners, Ivanovich Gorbatov and On The Fringe, brought Ireland’s final tally to 14, replicating the record haul of last year and 2013.