Big and bold at the first - Captain Arceus and Bryan Cooper© Photo Healy Racing
As early as the fourth hurdle Captain Arceus had those that invested in him at 'twos-on,' worried, as the slick jumping Un Beau Roman put it up to his two rivals from the front in the Follow Us On Twitter And Facebook Hurdle at Punchestown.
The Ruby Walsh-ridden pace-setter has shown in the past though, that his strongest work isn't at the finish, and once there was even a hint that Captain Arceus was bridging the gap going to the last, the outcome was rather inevitable.
Again equipped with cheek-pieces, deployed for the first-time when he scored at Galway last time, Captain Arceus got to Un Beau Roman in the closing stages to prevail by half a length. They left Bob Le Beau all of fifty seven lengths behind in last.
"They went a good pace and his jumping kept him in it. He quickened up, but really he's crying out for two and a half miles.
"Chasing will be his game but we felt this was too nice a prize to miss out on. He'll go chasing now," stated winning rider Bryan Cooper of the Dessie Hughes-trained victor. (AM & EM)
