Al Boum Photo and Paul Townend© Photo Healy Racing
Dual-Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo completed a hat-trick of Savills New Year's Day Chase wins at Tramore today as Willie Mullins' gelding is now set for a more important treble attempt at Cheltenham in March.
Al Boum Photo's 2020 racing year was curtailed by lockdown following his second successive Gold Cup win at Cheltenham in March, but it began with a customary new year's day Tramore outing.
Today's 2m5f Grade 3 chase, unheralded in years previously, has changed from being a mere stepping stone to a fully-fledged trial for Al Boum Photo's Cheltenham Gold Cup preparations and today's renewal featured five runners, three of which completed.
Al Boum Photo jumped well and while he didn't travel with the authority of a dual-Gold Cup winner, nevertheless went by Acapella Bourgeois at the second last and beat that 156 rated rival easily, by 19 lengths.
Afterwards Mullins, a director at the racecourse, reported “it's a big relief- it was nerve-wracking watching him going around there.
"He jumped very well and Paul said he was just so idle on his own in the middle of the race, he didn't even think he was in race.
“He had to roust him up down the back but once he got racing he was fine. Lack of company was a bigger worry for Paul than anything else.”
He added “the ground is very, very testing out there. We are happy with his performance, he did what he was asked to do. We just hope now that he comes out of it sound and well and we will plan for the Festival. That's the first hurdle jumped anyway.
"Half way around today I was thinking it would have been easier to go to Leopardstown because there would be less focus on him. When you come here you have to win and you have to win nicely and he did all those things.
"I usually like to do what has worked before and hopefully it will work again. A lot of ours are improving for their first run of the year and I'm expecting him to do the same."
Mullins' other runner Brahma Bull blundered David Mullins from the saddle at the second fence in the race and the Champion Trainer, who opposes removing fences due to the 'low sun', notably added “the sun was a worry and it probably cost Brahma Bull.”
Al Boum Photo was later cut, generally, to 7/2 favourite from 9/2, for an historic Cheltenham Gold Cup hat-trick attempt next March.
The win was trainer Mullins and jockey Paul Townend's second of the afternoon, and Mullins' own 20th since Christmas Day.
Quotes from Donal Murphy
