Bookmakers close to Jim Culloty’s stables in County Cork are still counting the cost of Lord Windermere’s victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The betting shop in nearby Churchtown had no time to replenish the coffers after being hit by the trainer’s success with 12-1 shot Spring Heeled in Thursday’s Challenge Cup before Lord Windermere sprang a 20-1 surprise in the big race of the week a day later.
“The local bookies ran out of money, and that was just after Spring Heeled won,” Culloty said.
“It was even worse for them after Lord Windermere.
Culloty was a triple Gold Cup winner as a jockey aboard Best Mate from 2002-04 and has now joined a small but elite band who also went on to train a winner of the great race.
“It’s hard to differentiate between training one and riding one, but they’re both fantastic,” he said.
“As a trainer you get loads of time to think about it, but as a jockey you only have five minutes not to mess it up.”
Culloty will talk with owner Dr Ronan Lambe about running Lord Windermere again this season, possibly in the Punchestown Gold Cup on April 30, though he is inclined to send the eight-year-old on a summer break and get him ready for Cheltenham next year.
The trainer admitted celebrations of this year’s win were not yet over. Asked how he would spend the rest of the week, he replied: “Drunk! Dr Lambe will have a party in Dublin and then we’ll have one here.”
