Gaelic Warrior enhances Timeform rating to 180 following Punchestown Gold Cup rout
Gaelic Warrior has been awarded an outstanding Timeform rating of 180 for his impressive victory in the Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday and is now the organisation's highest-rated jumps horse in training.
Gaelic Warrior was rated 174 after his dominant success in the Cheltenham Gold Cup but produced an even better performance at Punchestown where he slammed old rival Fact To File by 26 lengths.
The only horses trained by Willie Mullins who have earned higher ratings are Galopin des Champs, who was 181 at his peak but is now rated 171, and Douvan, who was rated 182.
Mullins is now responsible for the six highest-rated jumps horses in training. Il Etait Temps had briefly moved to the top of the pecking order on 175 following his win in the Punchestown Champion Chase on Tuesday.
Timeform's chase handicapper Phil Turner said: "Gaelic Warrior has long been a top-class performer, but it's fair to say he's taken his form to new levels on these last two starts. His impressive Cheltenham Gold Cup win has already been franked several times since, whilst he was even more impressive at Punchestown.
"Admittedly, the runner-up Fact To File was clearly some way below his best, but Gaelic Warrior has now beaten that rival on three of their last four meetings and has to be viewed as the superior of the pair - indeed, he's the highest-rated jumper in training and, still only eight, could well dominate the staying division for a while yet."
Timeform's highest-rated jumps horses:
180 Gaelic Warrior
175 Il Etait Temps
174 Fact To File
172x Majborough
171 Galopin des Champs
171 I Am Maximus
