The spoils of Guinness Gold Cup day went once more to Neptune Collonges and his all-conquering connections but the glory belonged a distance down the Punchestown track. There was no triumphant farewell for Beef Or Salmon, nor ever likely to be at his age and in this company, but a true legend of Irish racing was given a properly uplifting send-off.

After 46 jump starts and 17 wins - no fewer than ten at grade one level - this warrior with the catchy name retired in sixth place yesterday. He was beaten 33 lengths by the rangy grey who gave Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh a second feature race of the meeting, but cheered every step of his journey from the saddling box.

Hard-nosed form students will sneer that Beef Or Salmon never won on his many missions to Britain, and was a perennial disappointment in the Gold Cup. However, that did not prevent the 12-year-old becoming the best-loved chaser of his generation in his homeland.

The Irish appreciate nothing better than a staying chaser of evident honesty and this horse had that virtue in spades. Inevitably, he means the world to his trainer, Michael Hourigan, who narrowly kept his emotions in check as his enduring stable star was cheered into a retirement he will spend with his owner's grandson.

“I'm feeling really proud,” Hourigan said. “This was the hardest day I've had with him. I've never worried about him racing before but today I just wanted him to come back safe and sound. The great problem is to find another like him.”

Beef Or Salmon has had innumerable jockeys but it was a nice touch to see him reunited with Timmy Murphy yesterday. Not only did Murphy partner him to win this corresponding race, four years ago, it was also Hourigan who gave him the essential bed, board and backing in the disorientated days after his release from prison.

Murphy has never forgotten his debt to either trainer or horse and his face was almost as creased in smiles yesterday as after his Grand National glory this month. “He's just lost a bit of the pace he used to have but very few stay at the top as long as him,” he said.

Afterwards, Beef Or Salmon completed a lap of honour of the packed paddock along with Hedgehunter, a Grand National hero for Ireland also now taking honourable retirement. Amid such scenes, it was almost possible to forget we had just seen yet another example of the bottomless chasing talent at Nicholls' disposal.

Neptune Collonges came here a year ago as a virtual afterthought and won at 8-1. He was a shade of odds-on this time and won in appropriate manner once Walsh had awoken him from some sloppy early jumps.

He led from flagfall and, apart from being briefly headed by Hi Cloy with a circuit to run, dictated the race on his own terms. He won by seven lengths from Snowy Morning who had, in turn, pulled 17 lengths clear of a pack in which Kicking King was a conspicuous disappointment.

Walsh felt that Neptune Collonges was a much improved horse this time. “He felt quicker, stronger,” he said. “Last year, he was a tired horse in this race but I was struggling to hold him at the start today.”

Nicholls, pointing out that he is only seven, now has the enviable problem of keeping his staying stars apart next season. “We've the summer to think about that but this horse might be coming to Ireland a bit more - maybe even Down Royal in the autumn.”

The rest of yesterday's card fell tamely into “any other business” but there was an especially timely winner for Jessie Harrington, just 20 minutes after Curtain Call had won at Nottingham, smoothly continuing the Flat career launched and nurtured in her primarily jumping yard.

Beverley card and results, page 72