Golden Silver

Golden Silver put up a really impressive performance to land the Hilly Way Chase at Cork on Sunday. Always travelling well for Paul Townend, he moved in behind long-time leader Watson Lake going around the home turn, took it up at the second last, and moved easily clear down to the last. He made his only mistake at the last, a fairly bad one which had to have knocked the stuffing out of him, but he had enough in hand of his rivals to still run out an easy winner in spite of that error.

Golden Silver is at his best on heavy ground over two miles. He has raced over two miles or an extended two miles on heavy ground over fences three times now since joining Willie Mullins, and he has won all three times. His best performance before Sunday was at Leopardstown last January, when he just got the better of subsequent Arkle winner Forpadydeplasterer in the Grade 1 Irish Arkle, but Sunday's performance was another step forward even on that. The Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas is the obvious next target for him and, as long as the ground is soft or softer, he will take a lot of beating in that.

13th December 2009

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