Al Boum Photo
Al Boum Photo | |
---|---|
Racing silks of Emmanuel Clayeux and Mrs J Donnelly | |
Sire | Buck's Boum |
Grandsire | Cadoudal |
Dam | Al Gane |
Damsire | Dom Alco |
Sex | Gelding |
Foaled | 21 May 2012[1] |
Country | France |
Colour | Bay |
Breeder | Emmanuel Clayeux and Jacky Rauch |
Owner | Emmanuel Clayeux Mrs J Donnelly |
Trainer | Emmanuel Clayeux Willie Mullins |
Record | 17: 9-2-1 |
Earnings | £898,384 |
Major wins | |
Festival Novice Hurdle (2017) Ryanair Gold Cup (2018) Savills New Year's Day Chase (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) Cheltenham Gold Cup (2019, 2020) Timeform rating: 174 | |
Last updated on 16 March 2024 |
Al Boum Photo is a French-bred, Irish-trained racehorse who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2019 and 2020.
Background
Al Boum Photo is a dark bay gelding with a small white star, and was bred in France by Emmanuel Clayeux & Jacky Rauch. He initially raced in the colours of Clayeux, who also trained him.
Racing career
On his racecourse debut Al Boum Photo fell in a hurdle race at Moulins in France on 14 September 2015. In the following year he was sent to race in Ireland where he was trained by Willie Mullins and carried the colours of Mrs J Donnelly.[2]
In the 2016/17 National Hunt season he finished third on his first appearance for his new connections. He then won a minor race at Thurles Racecourse before winning the Grade 2 Festival Hurdle at Fairyhouse and finishing fifth in the Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle at Punchestown. In the first two races he was ridden by Ruby Walsh; in the second two races he was ridden by Paul Townend.[2]
Al Boum Photo began the 2017/18 season by winning a minor steeplechase at Navan Racecourse, his first outing over fences. His next race was the Grade 2 Novice Chase at Limerick on 26 December 2017. Ridden by David Mullins, he fell when leading at the last. He was then narrowly beaten into second place in his first Grade 1 race, the Novice Chase at Leopardstown. In March 2018 Al Boum Photo made his first appearance at the Cheltenham Festival, where he was ridden by Walsh in the Novices' Chase and fell at the second last. On 1 April 2018 he won the Ryanair Gold Cup, ridden by Mullins. His final race of the season, the Champion Novices Chase at the Punchestown Festival, ended in a bizarre incident when he was in the lead approaching the last and jockey Townend mistakenly thought the fence had to be bypassed.[2]
Al Boum Photo made only three appearances in the 2018/19 season. Ridden by Walsh, he won the Savills Chase at Tramore on 1 January 2019.[2] His next race was the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Starting at 12/1 in a field of sixteen, he gave Mullins a long-awaited first victory in the race.[3] It was also a first success in the race for jockey Townend, who would go on to partner Al Boum Photo in all his future races except for one.[2] Al Boum Photo ended the season with second place in the Punchestown Gold Cup, beaten two lengths by stablemate Kemboy.[2]
In the 2019/20 season, Al Boum Photo made only two appearances on the racecourse. He again comfortably won his warm-up race, the Savills Chase at Tramore on New Year's Day before he secured a victory for the second consecutive year in March 2020. On this occasion he started as 100/3 favourite and beat Santini by a neck.[4]
The 2020/21 season took a familiar course with a comfortable win at Tramore followed by appearances in the Cheltenham and Punchestown Gold Cups. Starting as 9/4 favourite at Cheltenham, he came third behind Minella Indo and A Plus Tard. At Punchestown he again started as favourite, and was beaten one-and-a-half lengths into second place by Clan des Obeaux.[2]
In the 2021/22 season Al Boum Photo was entered for the same three races, resulting in a fourth consecutive win in the Savills Chase at Tramore, and sixth and third places in the Gold Cups at Cheltenham and Punchestown. In the Punchestown Gold Cup he was ridden by Bryan Cooper while his regular jockey Townend took the ride on favourite and winner Allaho. The season ended with a trip to France to compete in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris at Auteuil on 22 May 2022. Al Boum Photo was pulled up after jumping the third-last fence.[2]
In June 2022 Mullins announced that Al Boum Photo had been retired from racing and, together with stablemate Melon, was going be trained for eventing.[5]
Pedigree
Sire Buck's Boum (FR) 2005 | Cadoudal (FR) 1979 | Green Dancer (USA) | Nijinsky (CAN) |
---|---|---|---|
Green Valley (FR) | |||
Come To Sea (IRE) | Sea Hawk (FR) | ||
Camarilla (FR) | |||
Bucks (FR) 1993 | Le Glorieux (GB) | Cure The Blues (USA) | |
La Mirande (FR) | |||
Buckleby (GB) | Buckskin (FR) | ||
Thereby | |||
Dam All Gane (FR) 2005 | Dom Alco (FR) 1987 | Dom Pasquini | Rheffic |
Boursonne | |||
Alconaca (IRE) | Nonoalco (USA) | ||
Vela (GB) | |||
Magic Spring (FR) 1997 | True Brave (USA) | Dancing Brave | |
True Lady | |||
Carama | Tip Moss | ||
Miss Jefferson (Family: 7) |
References
- ^ a b "Al Boum Photo pedigree". Equineline.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Al Boum Photo". Racing Post. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ^ "Willie Mullins finally claims Gold Cup glory as 12/1 shot Al Boum Photo wins at Cheltenham". Irish Independent. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
- ^ "Cheltenham Festival: Al Boum Photo lands back-to-back Gold Cup wins". BBC Sport. 15 March 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
- ^ "Al Boum Photo: Two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner and stablemate Melon retired". BBC Sport. 7 June 2022.
External links
- Career 1-2-3 Colour Chart – Al Boum Photo
- v
- t
- e
- 1924 Red Splash
- 1925 Ballinode
- 1926 Koko
- 1927 Thrown In
- 1928 Patron Saint
- 1929 Easter Hero
- 1930 Easter Hero
- 1931 no race
- 1932 Golden Miller
- 1933 Golden Miller
- 1934 Golden Miller
- 1935 Golden Miller
- 1936 Golden Miller
- 1937 no race
- 1938 Morse Code
- 1939 Brendan's Cottage
- 1940 Roman Hackle
- 1941 Poet Prince
- 1942 Medoc II
- 1943 no race
- 1944 no race
- 1945 Red Rower
- 1946 Prince Regent
- 1947 Fortina
- 1948 Cottage Rake
- 1949 Cottage Rake
- 1950 Cottage Rake
- 1951 Silver Fame
- 1952 Mont Tremblant
- 1953 Knock Hard
- 1954 Four Ten
- 1955 Gay Donald
- 1956 Limber Hill
- 1957 Linwell
- 1958 Kerstin
- 1959 Roddy Owen
- 1960 Pas Seul
- 1961 Saffron Tartan
- 1962 Mandarin
- 1963 Mill House
- 1964 Arkle
- 1965 Arkle
- 1966 Arkle
- 1967 Woodland Venture
- 1968 Fort Leney
- 1969 What a Myth
- 1970 L'Escargot
- 1971 L'Escargot
- 1972 Glencaraig Lady
- 1973 The Dikler
- 1974 Captain Christy
- 1975 Ten Up
- 1976 Royal Frolic
- 1977 Davy Lad
- 1978 Midnight Court
- 1979 Alverton
- 1980 Master Smudge
- 1981 Little Owl
- 1982 Silver Buck
- 1983 Bregawn
- 1984 Burrough Hill Lad
- 1985 Forgive 'n Forget
- 1986 Dawn Run
- 1987 The Thinker
- 1988 Charter Party
- 1989 Desert Orchid
- 1990 Norton's Coin
- 1991 Garrison Savannah
- 1992 Cool Ground
- 1993 Jodami
- 1994 The Fellow
- 1995 Master Oats
- 1996 Imperial Call
- 1997 Mr Mulligan
- 1998 Cool Dawn
- 1999 See More Business
- 2000 Looks Like Trouble
- 2001 no race
- 2002 Best Mate
- 2003 Best Mate
- 2004 Best Mate
- 2005 Kicking King
- 2006 War Of Attrition
- 2007 Kauto Star
- 2008 Denman
- 2009 Kauto Star
- 2010 Imperial Commander
- 2011 Long Run
- 2012 Synchronised
- 2013 Bobs Worth
- 2014 Lord Windermere
- 2015 Coneygree
- 2016 Don Cossack
- 2017 Sizing John
- 2018 Native River
- 2019 Al Boum Photo
- 2020 Al Boum Photo
- 2021 Minella Indo
- 2022 A Plus Tard
- 2023 Galopin Des Champs
- 2024 Galopin Des Champs