Gold Cup winners land Gowran bumper finale

Don Cossack's Gold Cup winning colours of Gigginstown House Stud were carried to success in the concluding Ger Aylward & Glanbia (Pro/Am) Bumper at Gowran today with the Mouse Morris trained Grotesque under Cheltenham winning jockey Jamie Codd.

Grotesque stayed on well on the stands' side rail for a comfortable win over Black Of Koeman, to give Codd his second winner in a week following his fourth career success in Cheltenham's Kim Muir Chase on Thursday, with Cause Of Causes.

Winning trainer Morris, on the other hand, may rue a catalogue of racecourse near-misses in the past year as his Gigginstown owned Alpha Des Obeaux filled a gallant second in Thursday's World Hurdle.

Morris, who won the 2006 Gold Cup with War Of Attrition, today stated “I doubt if he’ll (Grotesque) go for another bumper.

“We’ll see how he matures over the summer, and he’ll probably go hurdling next season. He’s 17 hands, is a full brother to Rathlin and is a nice horse.”

Morris' list of near-misses in the past year include an Irish Grand National, Galway Plate, Paddy Power Chase, Lexus Chase while Alpha Des Obeaux has also now filled the runner-up spot in no less than four high-end Grade 1 races.

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Alan Magee