2:02pm Friday 19th March 2010
PAUL NICHOLLS suffered a shock defeat in the Gold Cup as Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Imperial Commander secured a thrilling win at the Cheltenham Festival.
All the talk before the race was about the rematch between the Olveston-born trainer’s pair of Kauto Star and Denman but the reigning champion unseated jockey Ruby Walsh near the finish, and the 2008 champion was unable to match Imperial Commander’s pace in the finishing straight.
Kauto Star was the odds-on favourite but never looked particularly comfortable in the wet conditions, stumbling over a fence early in the race to trail the frontrunners. He then fell with three fences left and Imperial Commander then challenged Denman, who had been at the front throughout.
The horse ridden by Paddy Brennan then raced clear up the hill to win by six lengths ahead of Tony McCoy on Denman with Mon Mome beating Carruthers in a photo finish for third.
The day got even for better for Gloucestershire-based trainer Twiston-Davies as his son, Sam rode Baby Run to victory in The Christie’s Foxhunter Steeple Chase Challenge Cup straight after.
There was no success story for Dursley racehorse owner Terry Warner though as Oiseau De Nuit finished down the field in The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Steeple Chase Challenge Cup.
The Nicholls-trained horse was leading for a large chunk of the race but fell away in the final third as Twiston-Davies and Brennan recorded another success with Pigeon Island triumphant.
Five horses were still in contention to win after the last fence but Pigeon Island finished strongly to beat French Opera, Consigliere, Cornas and Tartak.
Meanwhile, Pause and Clause (14-1) cruised to a comfortable victory in The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, finishing eight lengths ahead of Radium with Clova Island third.
Berties Dream has won the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle race after another dramatic finale.
It developed into a three horse race going into the last fence, but Restless Harry suffered a fall, leaving Berties Dream to pip Najaf to the finishing post.
Walsh rode one winner on Gold Cup Day at the Cheltenham Festival but it was not Ruby.
Katie Walsh was victorious on Thousand Stars (20-1) in the Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle race, ahead of Arcalis (33-1).
Dee Ee Williams finished third (20-1), and Zanir came fourth (50-1) as the underdogs continued to defy the odds at the Festival.
Soldatino triumphed in the JCB Triumph Hurdle after an exciting finish in the first race of the day. Outsider Barizan (14-1) stormed into an early lead and stayed there for virtually the whole race, bursting 12 lengths clear of his rivals at one stage. However, it was clear T J O’Brien’s horse did not have the legs to maintain such a ferocious pace throughout and was overtaken by Barry Geraghty on Soldatino after stumbling on the last fence.
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