UPDATED 8:21PM, APR 4 2021
A few years have passed since Jody McGarvey was enjoying the ride of his life on a certain headbanger by the name of Great Field.
They teamed up to win five races together, including a Grade 1 at the 2017 Punchestown festival, and nothing was ever boring when they rolled into town.
The excitement of being associated with that headline horse died down a long time ago but, in his own words, McGarvey’s fallow period “makes you appreciate the good times that bit more”.
Sunday at Fairyhouse was not just a good day, it was McGarvey’s best day in the saddle.
Underwriting Exchange Gold Cup Novice Chase | 2m4f | Grade 1 | 5yo+ | RTE2/RTV
Willie Mullins has won the last two runnings of this and it is the unreliable Asterion Forlonge rather than the ultra-reliable Energumene who spearheads his challenge.
This was the scene for the first of Al Boum Photo s three Grade 1 wins. He was the Willie Mullins second string that day when seeing off Shattered Love, while Voix Du Reve led home a 1-2 for the stable the last time this race was run in 2019.
So, where do we stand with Asterion Forlonge? The giant grey looked to have the world at his feet when brushing aside Conflated on his chasing debut at Punchestown in November. So impressive there that he was 4-6 to win a Grade 1 next time at Limerick over Christmas.
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