Walsh records treble

Ruby Walsh had a day to remember when winning the feature race of the day The Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup Grade 1 aboard the Paul Nicholls trained Neptune Collonges making it a treble on the day for the jockey.

Walsh settled his mount in behind the leader, improved to lead before 3 out and kept on well from last to hold off the efforts of the Jim Dreaper trained Notre Pere by 5 lengths

Nicholls said afterwards, "It took the horse a week to regain his confidence after his fall here the last day. He took a good old blow today, he has been giving the young horses a lead over the baby hurdles to get his confidence back. That's the best he's jumped for awhile. We put a sheepskin noseband on him today to help him concentrate and that run should be ideal for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. If we got this ground in Cheltenham it would be ideal. We will probably go to Punchestown after Cheltenham."

Nicholls also said, "I won this race as a jockey 21 years ago aboard a horse called Playschool."

Andrew Lynch rider of Notre Pere remarked, "The ground was a bit dead but they weren't going into it and I always going a stride too quick."