'All roads lead to Cheltenham' - Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo passes Tramore test

All was quiet on New Year's Day at a crowdless Tramore. Al Boum Photo may not have made as much noise as we know he's able to, but the reigning two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner is still capable of hitting notes that few can when on song and his winning return to action sounded just fine for those closest to him.

On the face of it he wasn't overly flashy in dispatching inferior rivals, but he still managed to score by 19 lengths – more than triple the winning margin in either of his last two wins in this race – and didn't have things unfold to suit by any means.

Tennis star Venus Williams once said "win pretty, win ugly, just win" and the top-rated chaser in training was taken into somewhat uncomfortable territory at times as he completed his hat-trick of victories in the Savills New Year's Day Chase.

Al Boum Photo: back with a win at TramoreCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Racing on ground that was described as soft with patches of heavy, the five-strong field quickly became four when Al Boum Photo's stablemate Brahma Bull came to grief at the second fence, while the Marie and Joe Donnelly-owned star looked as enthusiastic as ever at the two uphill obstacles after the winning post.

From thereon his jumping was satisfactory – he's never the most exuberant of horses through the air – and a reportedly strong pace from established two-miler Djingle seemed to ensure this would be a decent test of stamina over 2m5½f.

The freegoing front-runner had emptied his tank by the time they were about to head out on to the final circuit and that left last year's second Acapella Bourgeois to take up the running.

Al Boum Photo did not appear to always carry Paul Townend with great zest down the back, but being able to tack his mount on to the tail of Acapella Bourgeois appeared to mentally engage him much more.

It was virtually a done deal for the Gold Cup favourite, shortened from 9-2 to 100-30 with Paddy Power after his success, as he popped over the final two fences in an assured manner.

Relief was the order of the day for Willie Mullins, who was understandably pleased to see the 175-rated performer make a successful reappearance.

"It's nerve-racking watching him go around there," said the champion trainer. "Halfway around I was thinking it would have been easier to go to Leopardstown and whatever happened there, happened.

"But you have to come down here and have to win, and you have to do it nicely. He did all those things. I usually like to do what works and it has worked before, so hopefully it will work again."

"It was a different race to last year with the speed we went," added Townend. "It was a proper test today and he ground it out well."

Asked if he felt that Al Boum Photo was still the horse that the rest will have to aim at in the Cheltenham Gold Cup picture, Townend said: "He's been there and done it twice so I think he is. I don't think he did anything wrong today. He's won and all roads lead to Cheltenham."

Click here to watch Al Boum Photo make a winning return

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