Taken to the front three fences from home by jockey, Conor O'Dwyer, Mouse Morris's stable star jumped impeccably and ran on strongly up the Cheltenham hill to win racing's most prestigious chase by 2+1⁄2 lengths from 2005 Grand National hero, Hedgehunter.

[1][3] War of Attrition's win gave O'Dwyer a second victory in the Gold Cup ten years after Imperial Call claimed the race and Ireland a Saint Patrick's Day first, second and third with Forget The Past completing the placings along with his compatriots.

[1] Another grade-one win followed at the Punchestown Festival in the Guinness Gold Cup for War of Attrition when making all to beat Beef Or Salmon by a comfortable 2+1⁄2 lengths, rounding off a highly successful 2005/06 season and confirming his standing as a high-class staying chaser.

[1] Racing on less favourable soft ground, the following season proved more difficult, yielding only one win before War of Attrition picked up a tendon injury when in the final phases of preparation for an attempt to defend his Cheltenham Gold Cup crown, keeping him off the track for nearly two years.

The long absence and the need for him to be raced on softer ground to aid his soundness meant War of Attrition never scaled the heights of past glories but still recorded two more victories over fences during the 2008/09 season and a never-threatening second in the grade-one Lexus Chase behind Exotic Dancer.