Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Second Gold Cup victory for Gigginstown boss, O’Leary

Brilliant Don Cossack secured a second Cheltenham Gold Cup for Gigginstown boss, Michael O’Leary at the famous Prestbury Park venue last Friday, seeing off Djakadam and stablemate, Don Poli with a powerful finish under a superb ride from jockey Brian Cooper.

“I am actually so emotional,” an elated O’Leary said minutes after the race. “We have been doing seconds all week! Gold Cups are incredibly hard to win. I’m thrilled. I’m so happy I could cry.”
The win came 10 years after O’Leary’s only previous Gold Cup win, with War of Attrition. “Gold Cup winners are impossible to find. I’ve bought a lot of horses in the past ten years.”
O’Leary said that having his family with him at Cheltenham for Friday’s victory made it all the more special.
“I always like to try and have a winner when Anita is here, as she doesn’t go racing that often with the children,” he said. “So it is very nice to win a Gold Cup when she is here.
“She was here when we won 10 years ago, but there weren’t as many children ten years ago, so it’s wonderful. I can’t believe it,” he declared.
It was a difficult start to the week for the Gigginstown House Stud, with Mr O’Leary losing out on first place in two of the races that Ryanair sponsored. However, he said his second Gold Cup win felt “equally as good as the first one.”
“These things are bloody hard won,” he said. “It’s like I have died and gone to Heaven. It is like an out-of-body experience,” he beamed.
Don Cossack, owned by Gigginstown House Stud, was sent off the 9-4 favourite for the Gold Cup and produced a superb effort under Cooper to deny Djakadam by four and a half lengths. Trainer, Gordon Elliott was thrilled.
“It was an amazing day; I can’t really describe what it felt like. The Gold Cup and Grand National are the two races you really want to win; it’s just unbelievable to do it,” he said.
“I’ve got good staff and good owners. Michael (O’Leary) and Gigginstown have been big supporters of mine; it’s just a dream come true. We knew when the ground came right, everything was right on the day, and it just felt right. This is definitely his time of year. He’s a different horse on better ground. He doesn’t look impressive on soft ground; he does it workmanlike. He’s won a Gold Cup now and we’re all very proud of him,” he added.
Don Cossack won the Punchestown Gold Cup last term and that could be a possible option, with Aintree clearly not on the agenda.
“If he was going to run anywhere it would be Punchestown, but we will see how the horse is. The Gold Cup has been the plan all year. If he doesn’t run again, it’s not the end of the world. I’ll have to talk to Michael and Eddie (O’Leary) but I’d imagine it would be Punchestown, all being well,” said Eliot.

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