Beef Or Salmon wins Champion Chase at Down Royal
Beef Or Salmon proved he is still one of the best in the business when lowering the colours of War Of Attrition in a thrilling renewal of the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal today.
Consistently average at the Cheltenham Festival but quite exemplary in his own country, Michael Hourigan's charge, sent off the 11-4 second favourite, won the three-mile Grade One with a neck to spare from the Cheltenham Gold Cup hero.
Cloudy Bays cut out most of the early running before Justified gained the upper hand four out.
Both 4-7 favourite War Of Attrition and Beef Or Salmon were travelling ominously well near the head of affairs, however.
Although the former stumbled slightly turning for home, Conor O'Dwyer still nudged his partner into the lead with a crisp leap at the penultimate fence.
But Beef Or Salmon, relishing the small field and soft ground, responded to Andrew McNamara's every call and moved upsides his nearest rival at the last.
An absorbing duel ensued thereafter with Beef Or Salmon just getting up to land the Down Royal feature for a second time and notch his ninth success at the highest level.
A delighted McNamara said: "Once he got to the last he knew his way.
"He plugged away throughout but I thought I was beaten at the third and fourth last.
"It was only after the second last that I thought I had a chance.
"He met the last with a nice stride and put up a really strong finish."
Hourigan was at his niece's wedding in Limerick but his daughter, Kay, said: "He will probably go for the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas next but that's only as far as we are thinking at the moment.
"That was superb though. They are two very good horses and he has appeared to come out of the race fine, which is the main thing."
O'Dwyer felt War Of Attrition lost nothing in defeat and said: "The horse stumbled four out but it made no real difference."
War Of Attrition's owner Michael O'Leary added: "We have been beaten by a horse who has now won nine Grade One races and there's no shame in that.
"The ground might have been a bit tacky for him though."
Beef Or Salmon was cut from 33-1 to 25s by VC Bet for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, while War Of Attrition was eased to 7-2 (from 3-1) to retain his crown at Prestbury Park.
In Compliance survived an almighty scare at the ninth fence before justifying favouritism in the Grade Three Killultagh Properties Ltd Chase.
Barry Geraghty worked the oracle to keep the partnership intact after being catapulted out of the saddle by Michael O'Brien's six-year-old.
It was to prove a masterful act of riding as In Compliance otherwise put up a highly impressive display to land the spoils at odds of 4-5.
O'Brien's charge bounded into the lead from Desperado Queen two out and stayed on well to score by three-quarters of a length from Wild Passion.
Denis Cullen, assistant to O'Brien, said: "That was a very good performance on his first run back.
"He was probably a bit fresh which contributed to him over-jumping the fence that nearly lost Barry.
"He should come on a lot for that run and the plan is now to go to Cheltenham for the Paddy Power Gold Cup next weekend."
Boylesports cut In Compliance from 14-1 to 7-1 to win the Paddy Power at the Open meeting, while the same firm cut his price from 20s to 14-1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
