Gerwyn Price has set his heart on becoming king of the Golden Mile after landing a second World Cup of Darts in four years for Wales.
The 'Iceman' and Jonny Clayton banked the £80,000 top prize by trouncing Scotland's Peter Wright and Gary Anderson 10-2 in the final on Sunday night in Frankfurt.
Now Price, who has never won the World Matchplay, wants to add the Phil Taylor Trophy to his collection at Blackpool's Winter Gardens, a venue where he has never taken the tickertape shower.
The former world No.1 decorated his run to last year's final – where he was beaten by Michael van Gerwen – with a perfect nine-dart leg against Danny Noppert.
And his form will put him among the front-runners at the World Matchplay next month after lifting his first trophy of 2023 with Clayton.
Price said: "The World Matchplay is probably the second-biggest ranking event of the whole calendar, so to win that one would be special.”
The 2021 world champion – who has now won nine TV majors, including his World Cup of Darts alliances with Clayton, was the best player during the Premier League season, only to come unstuck against Van Gerwen in the final.
His consistency has been a revelation since he crashed out of the PDC World Championship at Ally Pally amid widespread ridicule about his use of dustbin-lid ear defenders to cut out the noise of baying crowds.
Price was gracious enough to concede top billing to Clayton in Frankfurt, saying: “I've carried Jonny a few years, but he carried me tonight. What a player – he was so clinical.”
Gary Anderson, one half of the Scots pair beaten in Sunday's final, said: "The Welsh have got a cracking darts team.
“You've got Gerwyn - what he's done in darts over the last few years speaks for itself - and you've got the Ferret (Clayton) - I ain't sending him no Christmas card this year."
