After the success of Energumene in the Champion Chase on day one, the Willie Mullins and Paul Townend partnership was on form again for the Punchestown Gold Cup.
Allaho was the 6/5 favourite going into the day two featured race and it lived up to the tag, winning by a good distance from second-placed Clan Des Obeaux.
Willie Mullins' stablemates Al Boum Photo and Kemboy finished third and fourth, with Fakir D'Oudairies in fifth. Minella Indo and Janidil were pulled up.
It's two big races from two for Mullins at the Punchestown Racing Festival and marks his fifth Gold Cup victory in the last ten years.
It's an impressive achievement for Allaho too, as the Gold Cup marked his first three-mile race since the Savills Chase in December 2020.
🔴🔵 Allaho strikes Gold
Allaho is relentless once again as he powers to victory in the @Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup for @CPStudOfficial and lands a quickfire Grade 1 double for @PTownend and @WillieMullinsNH 🏆@punchestownrace | #PTown22 pic.twitter.com/UXNYIkJn00— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 27, 2022
ALLAHO a dominant winner of the Punchestown Gold Cup! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/MskkuJ7ZAH
— Sky Sports Racing (@SkySportsRacing) April 27, 2022
Jockey Paul Townend spoke to RTÉ Sport after the race and talked about the stiff challenge he faced from Harry Cobden onboard Clan Des Obeaux.
"Look, Harry kept me honest," Townend said. "(Allaho) went a bit to his left. Didn't jump as well as he probably can to be honest. He's just a monster, isn't he?"
"It was just probably correcting himself. He wasn't left at every fence but he was left at some of them, which he has done before."
From the get go it looked like Allaho was going to be there or thereabouts, but Townend found his stride when they needed it most.
"I didn't want to interfere with him galloping," he said. "But at the same time, I wasn't going to give him a root in the belly and set him alight."
"Any winner here with the crowd back is brilliant. Punchestown is a massive festival. It's even better when you're riding for Willie Mullins."
See Also: Energumene Produces Strong Finish To Complete Champion Chase Double
