Horse Racing: BEEF'S BACK FROM DEAD

BEEF Or Salmon returned to the big time with a dramat ic last - gasp victory in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown yesterday.

Michael Hourigan's star chaser, who was bidding for his third victory in the race, came into the Grade 1 contest looking to reverse Lexus Chase form with The Listener and, for much of the race, he appeared to be facing an uphill battle.

The Listener produced his customary bold front running display and seemed to have his rivals hard at work from some way out.

With two to jump Beef Or Salmon was at least a dozen lengths off the leader but he steadily started to cut into the leader's advantage.

An expectant roar went up as Andrew McNamara's mount started to bear down on The Listener on the run in and Beef Or Salmon got up in the final 100 yards for a famous victory.

"He didn't jump as well as he usually does but he stuck at it well," said a delighted Hourigan.

"Halfway up the straight I thought he was going to get up and he's produced a superb performance. The first time blinkers worked really well."

"He's been a tremendous servant, particularly when we haven't had a winner since November, and he's now won ten Grade 1s over fences, how many chasers have done that?

"We'll go the usual route and head back to Cheltenham for the Gold Cup," added Hourigan.

Four previous attempts in the Gold Cup for Beef Or Salmon have yielded a best placing of fourth in 2004 and Paddy Power go a best priced 33/1 about the 11 year old lifting one of the few major prizes to have eluded him.

Reflecting on a remarkable effort the winning jockey Andrew McNamara reported: "The Listener went a very strong gallop and I felt that we needed to be jumping every fence to stay in touch."

"Beef Or Salmon was struggling even at the seventh last and, with four to jump, I thought that he had no chance but I noticed at the second last the leader was tiring.

"At that stage I still had plenty of horse underneath me and my horse kept plugging away."

"To his credit he jumped the last five fences impeccably and he rallied the whole way to the line. He's an amazing horse," concluded McNamara.

The Listener was beaten just three parts of a length as he attempted to complete the Lexus- Hennessy double and he lost nothing in defeat with trainer Robert Alner pointing the way towards a tilt at the Gold Cup.

Several firms left his odds for that race unchanged but Ladbrokes pushed him out to 10/1 from 8/1.

"I've got absolutely no complaints," said Alner afterwards. "I told Daryl to get him into a nice rhythm and get him jumping and he did exactly that. If the race was run again I wouldn't do anything different."

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