{{Short description|French-bred Thoroughbred National Hunt racehorse}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=March 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox racehorse | horsename = Al Boum Photo | image_name = [[File:Owner Emmanuel Clayeux.svg|120px]] [[File:Owner Mrs J Donnelly.svg|120px]] | caption = Racing silks of<br>Emmanuel Clayeux and Mrs J Donnelly | sire = Buck's Boum | grandsire = Cadoudal | dam = Al Gane | damsire = Dom Alco | sex = [[Gelding]] | foaled = 21 May 2012<ref name="pedigree">{{cite web|url=https://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm/=Al%20Boum%20Photo%20(FR)?page_state=DISPLAY_REPORT&reference_number=9857903&registry=T&horse_name==Al%20Boum%20Photo%20(FR)&dam_name==Al%20Gane%20(FR)&foaling_year=2012&include_sire_line=N&include_truenick=Y|title=Al Boum Photo pedigree|website=Equineline|date= |accessdate=}}</ref> | country = France | colour = [[Bay (horse)|Bay]] | breeder = Emmanuel Clayeux and Jacky Rauch | owner = Emmanuel Clayeux<br />Mrs J Donnelly | trainer = Emmanuel Clayeux<br />Willie Mullins | record = 17: 9-2-1 | earnings = £898,384 | race = [[Festival Novice Hurdle]] (2017)<br />[[Ryanair Gold Cup]] (2018)<br />[[Metal Man Chase|Savills New Year's Day Chase]] (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)<br />[[Cheltenham Gold Cup]] (2019, 2020)<br>Timeform rating: 174 |awards= |honours= |updated= 16 March 2024 }} '''Al Boum Photo''' is a French-bred, Irish-trained racehorse who won the [[Cheltenham Gold Cup]] in 2019 and 2020.

==Background== Al Boum Photo is a dark bay gelding with a small white [[star (horse marking)|star]], and was bred in France by Emmanuel Clayeux & Jacky Rauch. He initially raced in the colours of Clayeux, who also trained him.

==Racing career== On his racecourse debut Al Boum Photo fell in a [[Hurdling (horse race)|hurdle race]] at Moulins in France on 14 September 2015. In the following year he was sent to race in Ireland where he was trained by [[Willie Mullins]] and carried the colours of Mrs J Donnelly.<ref name=RP>{{cite web |url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/1207752/al-boum-photo/form |title=Al Boum Photo |work=Racing Post |access-date=10 June 2022}}</ref>

In the 2016/17 National Hunt season he finished third on his first appearance for his new connections. He then won a minor race at [[Thurles Racecourse]] before winning the Grade 2 [[Festival Novice Hurdle|Festival Hurdle]] at [[Fairyhouse]] and finishing fifth in the [[Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle]] at [[Punchestown]]. In the first two races he was ridden by [[Ruby Walsh]]; in the second two races he was ridden by [[Paul Townend]].<ref name=RP/>

Al Boum Photo began the 2017/18 season by winning a minor steeplechase at [[Navan Racecourse]], his first outing over fences. His next race was the Grade 2 [[Faugheen Novice Chase|Novice Chase]] at [[Limerick Racecourse|Limerick]] on 26 December 2017. Ridden by [[David Mullins (jockey)|David Mullins]], he fell when leading at the last. He was then narrowly beaten into second place in his first Grade 1 race, the [[Dr P. J. Moriarty Novice Chase|Novice Chase]] at [[Leopardstown Racecourse|Leopardstown]]. In March 2018 Al Boum Photo made his first appearance at the [[Cheltenham Festival]], where he was ridden by Walsh in the [[Broadway Novices' Chase|Novices' Chase]] and fell at the second last. On 1 April 2018 he won the [[Ryanair Gold Cup]], ridden by Mullins. His final race of the season, the [[Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase|Champion Novices Chase]] at the Punchestown Festival, ended in a bizarre incident when he was in the lead approaching the last and jockey Townend mistakenly thought the fence had to be bypassed.<ref name=RP/>

Al Boum Photo made only three appearances in the 2018/19 season. Ridden by Walsh, he won the Savills Chase at [[Tramore Racecourse|Tramore]] on 1 January 2019.<ref name=RP/> His next race was the [[2019 Cheltenham Gold Cup|Cheltenham Gold Cup]]. Starting at 12/1 in a field of sixteen, he gave Mullins a long-awaited first victory in the race.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/horse-racing/cheltenham/willie-mullins-finally-claims-gold-cup-glory-as-121-shot-al-boum-photo-wins-at-cheltenham-37917957.html |title = Willie Mullins finally claims Gold Cup glory as 12/1 shot Al Boum Photo wins at Cheltenham|date=15 March 2019|work=Irish Independent|accessdate=20 March 2019}}</ref> It was also a first success in the race for jockey Townend, who would go on to partner Al Boum Photo in all his future races except for one.<ref name=RP/> Al Boum Photo ended the season with second place in the [[Punchestown Gold Cup]], beaten two lengths by stablemate Kemboy.<ref name=RP/>

In the 2019/20 season, Al Boum Photo made only two appearances on the racecourse. He again comfortably won his warm-up race, the Savills Chase at Tramore on New Year's Day before he secured a victory for the second consecutive [[Cheltenham Gold Cup|year]] in March 2020. On this occasion he started as 100/3 favourite and beat Santini by a neck.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.bbc.com/sport/horse-racing/51875321|title =Cheltenham Festival: Al Boum Photo lands back-to-back Gold Cup wins|date=15 March 2020|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=16 March 2020}}</ref>

The 2020/21 season took a familiar course with a comfortable win at Tramore followed by appearances in the [[2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup|Cheltenham]] and Punchestown Gold Cups. Starting as 9/4 favourite at Cheltenham, he came third behind [[Minella Indo]] and A Plus Tard. At Punchestown he again started as favourite, and was beaten one-and-a-half lengths into second place by Clan des Obeaux.<ref name=RP/>

In the 2021/22 season Al Boum Photo was entered for the same three races, resulting in a fourth consecutive win in the Savills Chase at Tramore, and sixth and third places in the Gold Cups at [[2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup|Cheltenham]] and Punchestown. In the Punchestown Gold Cup he was ridden by [[Bryan Cooper (jockey)|Bryan Cooper]] while his regular jockey Townend took the ride on favourite and winner Allaho. The season ended with a trip to France to compete in the [[Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris]] at [[Auteuil Hippodrome|Auteuil]] on 22 May 2022. Al Boum Photo was pulled up after jumping the third-last fence.<ref name=RP/>

In June 2022 Mullins announced that Al Boum Photo had been retired from racing and, together with stablemate Melon, was going be trained for [[eventing]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/61716478 |title=Al Boum Photo: Two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner and stablemate Melon retired |date=7 June 2022 |publisher=BBC Sport}}</ref>

==Pedigree== {{Pedigree |name = Al Boum Photo (FR), bay gelding 2012<ref name="pedigree"/> |inf = |f = Buck's Boum (FR)<br />2005 |m = All Gane (FR)<br />2005 |ff = Cadoudal (FR)<br />1979 |fm = Bucks (FR)<br />1993 |mf = Dom Alco (FR)<br />1987 |mm = Magic Spring (FR)<br />1997 |fff = [[Green Dancer]] (USA) |ffm = Come To Sea (IRE) |fmf = [[Le Glorieux]] (GB) |fmm = Buckleby (GB) |mff = Dom Pasquini |mfm = Alconaca (IRE) |mmf = True Brave (USA) |mmm = Carama |ffff = [[Nijinsky (horse)|Nijinsky]] (CAN) |fffm = Green Valley (FR) |ffmf = Sea Hawk (FR) |ffmm = Camarilla (FR) |fmff = Cure The Blues (USA) |fmfm = La Mirande (FR) |fmmf = [[Buckskin (horse)|Buckskin]] (FR) |fmmm = Thereby |mfff = Rheffic |mffm = Boursonne |mfmf = [[Nonoalco]] (USA) |mfmm = Vela (GB) |mmff = [[Dancing Brave]] |mmfm = True Lady |mmmf = Tip Moss |mmmm = Miss Jefferson (Family: 7) }}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.jockeycolours.com/horses/Al_Boum_Photo.html?origin=wikipedia Career 1-2-3 Colour Chart] – ''Al Boum Photo''

{{Cheltenham Gold Cup winners}}

[[Category:Cheltenham Festival winners]] [[Category:Cheltenham Gold Cup winners]] [[Category:Racehorses bred in France]] [[Category:National Hunt racehorses]] [[Category:2012 racehorse births]] [[Category:Racehorses trained in Ireland]] [[Category:Thoroughbred family 7]]