Neptune Collonges won for the second year in a row

Neptune Collonges became the first horse to win the Guinness Gold Cup in back-to-back years on day two of the Punchestown Festival on Wednesday.

The horse, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Ruby Walsh, started as 9/10 favourite and won by seven lengths.

Snowy Morning (12/1) finished second, with Mossbank (7/2) in third and Mister Top Notch fourth.

Beef or Salmon, competing in his final race, could not add to his 10 Grade One steeplechase wins and came in sixth.

Neptune Collonges made the early running but High Cloy then hit the front before Neptune Collonges took it up again with five fences to jump.

Kicking King and Sher Beau were both pulled up.

It was Walsh's fourth victory in the race, and his second on Neptune Collonges.

After the race, winning trainer Nicholls said the horse had "run up to his Gold Cup form, jumped well and won well".

"The horse has improved enormously since last year and it is great to win here. The people are so friendly and it's an awesome place to be."

Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup
1. Neptune Collonges (R Walsh) 9-10 Fav
2. Snowy Morning 12-1
3. Mossbank 7-2
4. Mister Top Notch 11-1
9 ran