Al Boum Photo joins the exalted as Mullins and Townend enjoy golden afternoon

After an opening round that left both men grappling on the ropes, Willie Mullins and Paul Townend produced an overwhelming flurry of Friday punches that culminated in Al Boum Photo claiming successive Magners Gold Cup titles in decisive fashion.

Left dazed and confused by an unexpected barrage on Tuesday, the redoubtable duo had picked themselves up off the Cotswolds canvas 24 hours later to land a first blow in the Champion Bumper. On Thursday, a beautiful combination of jabs saw them back on an even keel, and they saved the very best for last.

Al Boum Photo’s knockout Gold Cup blow was Mullins’ fourth successive winner on the day, and a third for Townend. In victory, he was joining the most exalted company. You could call it a good old-fashioned one-two.

Best Mate, who won three of jump racing’s definitive events between 2002 and 2004, was the last horse to plunder back-to-back Gold Cups. Only six horses in the history of the great old race had done it, and now Al Boum Photo extends that illustrious list to seven, joining Easter Hero, Golden Miller, Cottage Rake, Arkle and L’Escargot as the others to have retained their crown.

The historic triumph also copper-fastened Mullins' position atop the overall Cheltenham Festival standings, after he began the day alongside Nicky Henderson on 68 apiece. He was utterly remorseless.

Having saddled six frustrating Gold Cup runners-up across a 20-year period, Mullins has now plundered two in as many years.

It also amounted to a splendidly significant landmark for Townend, as it enabled him to leapfrog Barry Geraghty and claim what is now entitled the Ruby Walsh leading rider award.

Somehow, given Walsh’s successor was deemed by many to be tasked with replacing the irreplaceable – a formidable burden that was not eased by Walsh’s forthright analysis earlier in the week – that seemed apt.

Townend's second successive triumph in the race amounted to an emphatic manifestation of his worth.

“It’s fantastic – an absolutely unbelievable day,” admitted a beaming Mullins. “People said Paul was under pressure but he does his own thing. I actually think he rides better under a little bit of pressure, so fair play to him. It’s very hard to take over from someone like Ruby Walsh but he has stamped his authority on his season in Ireland. I’m delighted for him – this was his day.

“He has been riding out of his skin and he has proved this week that he is well able for it.”

Townend’s display here was resounding proof of that, for there is no pressure more intensely suffocating than the expectation that attends a returning champion in the sport’s most cherished contest. Anything bar victory constitutes failure.

In a Gold Cup that saw Elegant Escape and Bristol De Mai set modest early fractions, he settled the reigning champion mid-division and wide. A couple of Al Boum Photo’s now characteristic blunders early on failed to impede their momentum, and the further they went, the more comfortable they looked.

Al Boum Photo (far side) stretches his neck over the line in the Gold CupCredit: Jonathan Grossick

As the pace failed to increase down the back the final time, Townend took his destiny in his own hands. He eased his mount forward and touched down alongside Santini with a share of the lead five out.

Many of his rivals still seemed to be sizing each other up, so he made the first move.

Robbie Power tracked him through on Lostintranslation but they could not get to grips when the gloves came off in the straight.

As Presenting Percy crashed when still on the premises two out, Real Steel emerged an unlikely challenger wide and late. When Lostintranslation’s stamina gave out, Santini rallied bravely when switched off the rail.

In the end, he nearly reeled in the returning hero, but this was to be Al Boum Photo’s moment – again. Santini was beaten a diminishing neck, with Lostintranslation third as Monalee and Delta Work took fourth and fifth without ever quite looking like getting there.

“It’s amazing,” Townend beamed, before adding with the sort of even temperament that epitomises his demeanour: "But it’s like I was saying earlier in the week. I went into the Gold Cup last year the same as I went into it this year. I was riding for the Donnellys and this was their one bullet. There was no real added pressure this week in that sense. Any extra pressure I was putting on myself.”

Of the significance of landing a second win in the blue riband event, he said: “It’s huge. This is the main stage. The Gold Cup is the Gold Cup. I thought I'd never feel anything like the feeling I had here last year but this is even better."

Willie Mullins and Paul Townend with their prize after winning a second Gold Cup with Al Boum PhotoCredit: Dan Mullan

Mullins suggested that Al Boum Photo would now be aimed at the Punchestown festival, with a similar strategy likely to be deployed ahead of his intended hat-trick bid next season, meaning Tramore will be rolling out the red carpet again on New Year’s Day, 2021.

“We just said we’d follow what happened last year, we didn’t want to break a winning formula when it works,” he explained of the strategy. “I didn’t think this year’s Gold Cup was anything like last year’s so I just thought we’d need a bit of luck and a clear round, and it was all to play for. This was the day.”

Joe Donnelly, who owns the handsome eight-year-old that Mullins says doesn’t “show any brilliance” but “gets it done” along with his wife Marie, had the cut of a happy man afterwards. He doesn’t say much, but described the sensation simply as “better than the first one”.

Paddy Power make Al Boum Photo a 5-1 shot to emulate Best Mate and bring the tally to three in 2021. Quite the prospect for a horse we can now happily anoint an undisputed champion of his realm. Bravo.

Watch Al Boum Photo triumph in the 2020 Cheltenham Gold Cup

Read more:

Unstoppable: Willie Mullins mops up first four races on Gold Cup day

Joe Donnelly: who is the low-key owner behind Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo?

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