Hales happy after victory
Shropshire owner John Hales enjoyed his biggest ever Irish success as he plundered the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup with Neptune Collonges. Shropshire owner John Hales enjoyed his biggest ever Irish success as he plundered the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup with Neptune Collonges. The stablemate of Kauto Star, Denman and Star De Mohaison took it up from the front-running Kingscliff before the fourth-last fence. "What a nice way to end the year," said a jubilant Hales. "Ruby was brilliant on him and was in an ideal place from the start. Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star
He then and kept up a strong gallop under Ruby Walsh to post a three-and-a-half-length victory over that rival and give the British a first win in the Grade One race under its present conditions.
It was an emotional victory for Cosford-based Hales, who had first planned an assault on Punchestown with One Man back in 1998, before his fatal fall at Aintree on the eve of the Grand National.
"What a nice way to end the year," said a jubilant Hales. "Ruby was brilliant on him and was in an ideal place from the start.
"It is so nice to win here as we were going to bring One Man after Aintree. The hospitality is brilliant and being in Ireland has been fantastic."
Hales joy was shared by trainer Paul Nicholls, who revealed he had kept how optimistic he was from the owner in order to keep him from getting too excited.
"I am thrilled - I always thought he was a decent horse," said Nicholls.
"He was in really good form coming here and he is only a six-year-old so is improving.
"He would have been second to Exotic Dancer earlier in the season if not for falling and he has started to prefer better ground as he gets older.
"He ran OK in the Gold Cup but when they quickened they caught him flat-footed and I don't think Cheltenham really suits him."
And looking to next season, he added: "He would probably be more of a Grand National horse then a Gold Cup horse."