Neptune Collonges strikes gold again

Racing : Neptune Collonges put up a tremendous performance to secure back-to-back successes in the Punchestown Guinness Gold…

Racing: Neptune Collonges put up a tremendous performance to secure back-to-back successes in the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup at the Irish venue.

Trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Ruby Walsh, the free-striding grey (9-10 favourite) made much of the running and gradually turned the screw on his rivals as the race took shape.

He had a commanding break on his closest pursuers turning for home and jumped the last two well to see off Snowy Morning by seven lengths, with Mossbank back in third.

Beef Or Salmon, making his final racecourse appearance, could never get competitive and finished sixth.