Records and reputations alike tumbled at Leopardstown's Hennessy Gold Cup meeting yesterday when a modern-day record adult crowd of 19,807 betted in excess of one and a quarter million pounds with the bookmakers and more than £394,000 with the tote.
The bookmakers held more money on the Gold Cup than they have ever held on a race at this track and, at the second last fence as the 50 to 1 outsider Dun Belle was still in front of both Dorans Pride and Imperial Call, they were starting to dream of one of those historic upsets in form
The rest of us up in the stands thought that the big two would surely kick the mare out of their way, but as the trio straightened up leaving that fence the gap between Dun Belle, Dorans Pride and Imperial Call was seen to escalate dramatically.
This left Richard Dunwoody's mount in the driving seat, and even if Dun Belle battled with courage belying the handicapper's rating, Dorans Pride had only to jump the last fence to be assured of success.
He made no mistake and duly stretched away to win by 15 lengths, with a photo for third place revealing that Anabatic had held Go Ballistic by a neck. As for the luckless Imperial Call, he managed to finish the course and earn £1,500 for his efforts, but he was found to be lame behind afterwards and can be ruled out of calculations for the Tote Gold Cup.
Michael Hourigan summed up his post-race feelings in a single word, "relief", for Dorans Pride, previously the most consistent National Hunt performer of the nineties, had run a uniquely bad race at Naas five weeks earlier when last of five to Manhattan Castle.
This flop had fuelled the rumour machine, and owner Tom Doran said that this pub talk had even percolated to the inns of London. In the early stages of yesterday's race even Dunwoody was beginning to wonder if there could be truth in them, for Dorans Pride was jumping very hesitantly, but as the contest warmed up he regained his old confidence.
Ladbroke's Mike Dillon was the most impressed among the antepost bookmakers and he cut Doran's Pride from 8 to 1 to 4 to 1 joint favouritism with See More Business, but there was a more cautious reaction from Sean Graham, Paddy Power, William Hill and Corals, all of whom agreed on a 5 to 1 quote. As for Dun Belle, she will go for the Greenalls Grand National Trial at Haydock Park on February 28th.
The supporting programme had promised fine sport and more than lived up to those expectations. Florida Pearl had come to the Dr P J Moriarty Memorial Novice Chase with an unbeaten career record, and to retain this he had inflict a first chase defeat on the more experienced Boss Doyle.
A novice race worth £50,000 should not have included any penalties, for while Boss Doyle threw down a genuine challenge to the 8 to 11 favourite, this would have been a still more competitive race if he had not been set to concede 7lb.
Florida Pearl is now best priced at 5 to 2 with the English Tote for the SunAlliance Chase, and Willie Mullins is confident that at Cheltenham he will be even more effective, "for the horse and ourselves alike have gained in confidence. I did not want him to get involved in a slogging race today", he said, "but Dunwoody will make more use of him next time".
Michael Morris will enter Boss Doyle in the Irish Grand National, but he continues in his belief that he should not take him to Cheltenham this year.
The National Hunt Festival is on target for three other winners we saw yesterday. Dermot Weld's Iron County Xmas has improved considerably since coming to him from the top American trainer Wayne Lukas and upset the odds on Khairabar by 15 lengths in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle to earn a 20 to 1 quote for the Triumph Hurdle, which his handler won with Rare Holiday in 1990.
The success of Iron County Xmas paid tribute to another Triumph Hurdle candidate, Darapour, now 12 to 1, who beat him over this course and distance.
In the absence of French Ballerina, Foxchapel King was sent off the 5 to 4 favourite for the Deloitte and Touche Novice Hurdle, but he was overtaken by disaster as, tackled by Native Estates, he suddenly veered sharply to the right and dropped right out of contention.
This was yet another instance where a favourite was found to be lame, and added on in this case was officially-diagnosed "respiratory distress". Native Estates, who had been second to Foxchapel King at Christmas now won by three lengths from Promalee, and although this distance of the race was 18 furlongs, he will revert to two miles for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.
The 1996 Christies Foxhunters Chase winner, Elegant Lord, missed last season's action through leg trouble, but on the evidence of an accomplished success over the gambled on Wilbar (7-1 to 9-2), he will be a prime candidate for this year's Foxhunters.
