Singing Banjo and Barry Walsh yellow win the La Touche Cross Country Steeplechase © Photo Healy Racing
Singing Banjo belied his advancing years when battling back bravely on the run-in to register a second success in the Mongey Communications La Touche Cup Cross Country Chase at Punchestown.
A winner of the 2021 renewal, when he also won the Ladies Cup at the festival, the now 14-year-old showed that he retains his enthusiasm for this unique course on which three of his four wins under rules have now come.
Jockey Barry Walsh, who was on board for all those aforementioned successes, as well as his Wexford handicap chase win, was also recording his first success since taking out his trainers licence.
Pushed along to chase leader Coko Beach on the run for home, Singing Banjo led approaching two out. Three By Two emerged on his outside as a serious threat, surging ahead after jumping that penultimate fence.
However, with the latter mare stumbling on landing, it left the door open for Singing Banjo to regain the advantage and go on after jumping the last. To her credit, Three By Two battled back to lead narrowly on the run-in but Walsh found extra aboard the veteran to edge a thriller by three-quarters-of-a-length.
Barry Walsh said: “He just stays galloping all day, he needs a trip.
“He got hampered a little bit at the old double, it wasn't ideal but he was hard and finished out strong.
“He loves the banks and we aim him for these races the whole time. The ground was just against us all season, we wants good ground.
“He won on firm here when taking the Ladies Cup and La Touche in one week. I was delighted to see it drying a bit here yesterday.
“He's lightly-raced and we'll see how he comes out of this. He's declared for Saturday and we'll see tomorrow how he is.
“We'd be hoping to get another season out of him for the cross-country, maybe at Cheltenham if the ground comes up good.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
