Leopardstown report: There might not have been a fairytale result for Beef Or Salmon in yesterday's Hennessy Gold Cup, but The Listener provided more than enough feel-good factor for the 14,000-strong crowd with an all-the-way victory in the Leopardstown highlight.
Edged out in the dying strides of last year's race by his old rival, this time The Listener again exhibited some free-wheeling jumping but, crucially, Daryl Jacob managed to keep enough in reserve to repel all challengers.
At the line The Listener had five-and-a-half lengths in hand on the other English raider, Turko, with Snowy Morning edging out Mister Top Notch for third.
On a day when J'y Vole produced a remarkable performance to maintain her unbeaten record over fences in the PJ Moriarty Chase, and Forpadydeplasterer allowed his colourful connections an opportunity to get some pre-Cheltenham vocal exercise in the Deloitte, there was a bitter-sweet undercurrent to The Listener's victory that guaranteed it centre-stage.
The star grey's trainer, Robert Alner, remains in hospital after sustaining serious neck injures in a car crash last November and it was left to his assistant, Nick Mitchell, to direct operations.
"Daryl sat and saved in front and kicked at the right time when it looked like they might swallow him up," he said. "We were a little worried about whether the ground was soft enough, but he proved that all the speculation about him not staying three miles is silly really."
Mitchell said a decision on whether The Listener will run in the Gold Cup or the Ryanair at Cheltenham will be made closer to the time.
Jacob, in contrast, has no doubts: "He gave me a great spin in the Gold Cup last year and was bang there at the top of the hill. But he just didn't stay. I would imagine the Ryanair will be the race for him."
There was complete agreement, however, on how much of a boost yesterday's win will provide Alner, and Mitchell added: "He's getting better and is able to go outside and get some fresh air. He has a TV next to his bed and I'm sure he'll be very happy with this."
For a long time, Mister Top Notch looked The Listener's biggest threat, and jockey Conor O'Dwyer reported: "I didn't expect the winner to quicken like he did and my horse flattened. But he's run a great race."
Willie Mullins still has the Grand National in mind for Snowy Morning, whose mistake at the third-last may have cost him second. But it's the Irish National rather than the Aintree version that could see Beef Or Salmon next after the veteran struggled home in fifth.
If The Listener's win was comparatively straight-forward, then J'y Vole did nothing by the book and yet still managed to put a strong field to the sword in style.
Despite hanging right, jumping right, running too freely, making a hash of the third-last and then being passed by Big Zeb, the mare still fought back to win by five lengths and leave Willie Mullins flummoxed.
"She has done everything wrong and still won. She must have an extraordinary engine. Ruby (Walsh) had a horrible ride," the trainer said, before deflecting the inevitable Cheltenham questions.
"On that display, you would think she would appreciate going right-handed, so I don't know what we will do," he said. "If we do go to Cheltenham over three miles, she might be too hard on herself, so maybe two miles would suit her more."
Forpadydeplasterer had his Ballymore Properties Novice Hurdle odds halved to 8 to 1 by Power after beating Cork All Star in the Deloitte, and set off some raucous celebrations by his owners, the 10-member Goat Racing Syndicate.
One of the 10 is the Goat Inn owner Charlie Chawke, who had a leg amputated after a shooting incident in 2003, and the horse is named after Paddy "The Plasterer" Reilly, whose name featured prominently in Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's recent "dig-out" controversies.
"Now he knows how to jump and race at speed, he'll be twice the horse at a trip," said the winner's trainer, Tom Cooper. "And wait until you see him jump a fence next year!"
Cork All Star may have been beaten, but trainer Jessica Harrington secured a double with Spirit Run, in the mares hurdle, and Personal Column, who is as low as 14 to 1 for the Triumph after edging out Won In The Dark in the Grade Two Juvenile Hurdle.
"He has to run in the Triumph, and actually ran better for the hustle and bustle there," said Harrington.
Arthur Moore saddled a rare bumper winner when the 20 to 1 shot Jaffonnien overcame the favourite Bantry Commons, who appeared to not get a completely clear run in the straight.
• Yesterday's Leopardstown crowd was a welcome increase to 14,202 from last year's corresponding figure of 13,693, when the meeting was run on a Saturday. Bookmaker turnover was also up to €2.5 million, compared to last year's €2.4 million, while a Tote figure of €637,542 was up from €523,953.
The attendance brought the total for the "super seven meetings", made up of the four days of Christmas, Pierse Hurdle day and the AIG, as well as the Hennessy, to 92,403. That is down 5,000 on 2006-07.
