FIRST THERE WAS ACCEPTANCE, LA TOUCHE, DITCHEAT BETRAYAL & BAMAPOUR.

Willie Mullins had come to terms with the possibility that he might never have a Cheltenham Gold Cup on his c.v at the time of his retirement. Then Al Boum Photo came along to win him two in successive seasons. Ambition achieved. Mullins could die a contented man. Then, as has now become the norm at Closutton, an even greater steeplechaser came along in Galopin Des Champs, another two-time winner of the Gold Cup, a horse that also achieved big-race success at other venues and could race more often than Al Boum Photo.

Gaelic Warrior has thus far only one Cheltenham Gold Cup to his name, yet there can be no one who believes it will not be two or even three before his career is over. As a big fan, and still a believer, of The Jukebox Man, it pains me to be so optimistic about prophesying a three-time Gold Cup winner not trained by Ben Pauling. But the eyes tell no lies and the head can be more reliable than the heart. Gaelic Warrior is about to become one of the great modern steeplechasers.

That said, he beat nothing of great importance yesterday. Fact To Fil can boss races run to suit him but overall he is a talking horse, a handsome talking horse but still a talking horse. Gaelic Warrior beat a former Gold Cup winner a country mile yesterday but Inothewayuryhinkin is a light of former days; he who won a Gold Cup, a poor Gold Cup if you look back at what finished third, fourth and so on, winning only because Galopin was not himself that day. In my imagination I can still see a never-to-be-forgotten set-to from the top of the hill to the winning line between Gaelic Warrior and The Jukebox Man, and don't laugh as it a narrative that the sport desperately needs next season, a match-up in the realm of Denman and Kauto Star. Britain versus Ireland. The ten out of ten brilliance of Paul Townend and the devel-may-care, sometimes gets things wrong, attitude of Ben Jones, a great jockey in the making. But boy, was Gaelic Warrior impressive yesterday!

One of the glories of Punchestown is that on every day there is an equine champion strutting their stuff. Il Etait Temps, Gaelic Warrior, Lossiemouth to name but three, and then there are the hunter chases, a plethora of bumpers, the farmers race and the La Touche, a 4-miler over the famous Punchestown banks course, a race to rival the prestige of all the Grade 1's at the meeting. If only Britain could stage such a festival that equally supports the wonderful diversity of our sport?

I am beginning to feel great sympathy for Paul Nicholls. Yes, I suspect he might not be the easiest man to get along with, yet his outstanding record as a trainer should ensure he is kept in high esteem by his owners, staff and the jockeys who ride for him. That is not the case, though, with Johnney De la Hay becoming the latest major owner to take his horses away from Ditcheat, sending many of them to Dan Skelton, with others going to Jamie Snowden and Chris Gordon. There is a reason for this betrayal and some will have knowledge of what lies behind it. It is all very well De la Hay saying thay want to diversify their operation but why not leave some of their string with Nicholls, why take Pic D'Orhy away, a horse who has over £1-million in prize-money and why to achieve diversity do they need to remove all of their horses? Nicholls will shrug his shoulders at this latest setback and get on with the job of training winners. But it must hurt to have so many knives in his back, especially when he must have regarded the perpertrators to have been friends of longstanding.

Occasionally, and bear with me on this, the death of a horse is good news. In the Racing Post today it is reported that Bamapour, the horse that gave Martin Pipe the all-time record for winners and a horse that gave A.P. McCoy two whip bans, recently died at the age of 36. 36, that is a wonderful achievement on the part of the Charlesworth family who cared for him in his retirement for 27-years. The B.H.A. should hand out medals to people who have cared-for retired racehorses for two decades or more. Why Bamapour got 36-years of life and Sir Gino only 6 is a mystery only the gods can answer. From an Aga Khan stud to a paddock in Cheshire via Pond House and the legend that is Martin Pipe, a man who like Nigel Twiston-Davies, is known for his charity to old warriors who served him well during their racing life. I bet Martin is both chuffed and saddened by the long life and death of one of his great water-carriers.