Hourigan keeps faith as Beef Or Salmon delivers

RacingReport: It was a case of as-you-were after Beef Or Salmon justified long odds on with the expected dominant display in yesterday's Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

Overall bookmaker reaction to a 12-length defeat of Grand National hero Hedgehunter was to leave Beef Or Salmon unchanged as a general 5 to 1 favourite to secure that elusive Cheltenham Gold Cup title at the fourth attempt next month.

But the perils and uncertainty that trainer Michael Hourigan still faces in even getting his stable star to the festival were illustrated by the drama that cropped up yesterday in what was billed as a relative cake-walk.

Strong Project's fall at the seventh-last saw Beef Or Salmon and Paul Carberry swerving to avoid the stricken 20 to 1 outsider. But a mistake two fences later was all Beef Or Salmon's doing, and Carberry was forced to rely on his survival instincts.

"He seemed to change his mind in mid-air," reported the jockey. "I didn't have time to think."

To his credit, Beef Or Salmon recovered quickly and at the second-last Hedgehunter was a sitting target in front. The 2 to 5 favourite duly quickened away in the manner his overall form suggested he should.

But Hourigan was nevertheless impressed.

"He's jumping better now than he has since a young horse, and Paul said he felt better than he did the last day in the Lexus," the trainer said. "A horse can get beat anywhere and the best horse doesn't always win. He could have been on the ground with that mistake. It just shows you must be lucky too," he added.

Whether that luck can transfer for the first time to Cheltenham will be the big question between now and St Patrick's Day, but Hourigan insists Beef Or Salmon is as good now as when he first attempted the Gold Cup in 2003.

Three successive failures means some will dither at the prospect, but a happy Carberry exclaimed: "It took The Fellow (1994) a long time to win it too!"

Hedgehunter is as low as 12 to 1 for the Gold Cup, and his trainer, Willie Mullins, indicated Cheltenham could be on the agenda.

But the Hennessy specialist also quipped: "I'll have to find something next year to get it back off Mr Hourigan!"

That one might even be Our Ben, who finished only third in the Dr PJ Moriarty Novice Chase but finished so powerfully that Paddy Power installed the horse as their new 5 to 1 favourite for the SunAlliance Chase.

The Railway Man provided a 16 to 1 shock when holding Father Matt by a length and a half and justifying Arthur Moore's decision to target this race after finishing runner-up in the Deloitte last year.

"We will have to decide about the SunAlliance, but it might be too far for him. The Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse might be an obvious alternative," said Moore, who was full of praise for rider Davy Russell.

"Davy gave him as good a ride as anyone could have. He was so cool."

As for Our Ben, Willie Mullins was upbeat. "He hit a flat spot four out but stayed on better than anything. It probably cost him the race, but it was a good trial."

Mullins had earlier seen Mister Hight make it two from two with an impressive success that saw him cut to as low as 11 to 4 favourite for the Triumph Hurdle.

"He will have learned a lot from today and he will run at Cheltenham, probably in the Triumph rather than the Supreme," he confirmed.

"He likes it soft and the dry weather in England could be a worry. But Cheltenham is a place where stamina comes into play."

Mr Nosie overcame a loose horse falling in front of him, and mistakes at the last two flights, to secure Paul Carberry another Grade One pot in the Deloitte. He will now join Nicanor in the SunAlliance Hurdle.

"Paul will have the pick. I'd rather not," said Noel Meade.

Meade doubled up in the last with Failte Arais, who made a winning debut, leaving the hotpot Alexander Buffet back in fourth.

But Harbour Pilot found General Montcalm four lengths too good in the hunters' chase, and the winner will now attempt to improve on a dismal display in last year's Foxhunters at the festival.

Studmaster added to his Pierse win with an easy success in the Matthews Handicap Hurdle and is now likely to be aimed at the Imperial Cup at Sandown.

"He's won even easier than in the Pierse, and knocking the second last out of the ground made no difference," approved Jessica Harrington, who also landed the other handicap hurdle with Gazza's Girl.

*A crowd of 16,102 packed into Leopardstown and they marginally increased bookmaker turnover from last year to €2,519,085. The biggest betting race was the last at nearly €400,000. The Tote figure was almost €670,000.