Aidan O'Brien's four-year-old put in a special performance over 10 furlongs at Curragh.
LANCASTER BOMBER was the surprise winner of the Tattersalls Gold Cup at Curragh, holding off the well-supported Defoe and favourite Cliffs Of Moher.
Having opened at 8-1 this morning, the four-year-old colt went off just 10-3 before the off and made pretty much the running from the off to win by two lengths.
Lancaster Bomber has always been a classy horse, but has often had to settle for second place.
Finishing second in the St James’s Palace, Woodbine Mile and Breeders’ Cup Mile over the last couple of years, Aidan O’Brien has found it difficult to go one better with his four-year-old.
However, the step up to one mile and the decision to open up an early advantage and say ‘catch me if you can’ clearly paid off, as Defoe and Cliffs Of Moher were never able to close down the leader.
As a result of Lancaster Bomber’s success, O’Brien’s colt has been shortened to 8-1 from 12-1 for the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot and 8-1 from 16-1 for the Breeders’ Cup Mile. It still remains unclear where the colt will head, however.
Oddschecker spokesman George Elek: “Lancaster Bomber was very well supported today and the backing from the punters paid off. Defoe and Cliffs Of Moher were meant to be the two battling it out but they could never reel in O’Brien’s horse.
It will be interesting to see where Lancaster Bomber heads to next but the manner of the performance over 10 furlongs was mightily impressive.”