Native River the king of the ring
NATIVE RIVER showed why he is the undisputed champion of the heavyweights after a bruising battle to beat favourite Might Bite in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Jockey Richard Johnson went to the front from the drop of the flag and Native River was never headed, jumping every fence with the precision of a cat on ground that resembled treacle. He came home four and half lengths clear of Might Bite with Anibale Fly taking third place.
Approaching the last fence, Might Bite, in with a chance to make history for Nicky Henderson by winning the ‘big three’, was on Native River’s shoulder and appearing destined for glory.
However, this was only for a fleeting moment. Native River showed, again, his limitless stamina, and the determination to win regardless of the conditions as the pair slugged it out to the winning post.
“To be honest, I was just a passenger,” said Johnson who won the race in 2000 with Looks Like Trouble. “He loves jumping and almost waits for things in front and just does what he has to.
“I thought we had gone quite steady but sometimes when you are on a good horse it doesn’t feel that quick, and I thought I needed to move it on a gear down the back straight and the more I asked from him, the better he jumped. I don’t think Might Bite ever headed us. I could tell he was going nicely but Native River has got a massive heart.”
Johnson had a willing partner, but the stewards hit him hard with a £6,550 fine and seven-day ban for excessive use of the whip.
Winning trainer Colin Tizzard was choked with emotion. “It’s unreal,” he said. “I came here when I was or 17 and 18, when horses like the The Dikler and Pendil were running and never thought I would win the Gold Cup and I’ve just done it. If you ask me again I’ll start crying again. When Might Bite came alongside, I thought oh, no, but then Richard was brilliant.”
Henderson, the trainer of 4-1 favourite Might Bite, had hoped to make history by winning the ‘big three’ of Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup in the same year, but was gracious in defeat .
“I am proud of him and everybody,” he said of Might Bite. “A great race and he has done absolutely nothing wrong. We were taking on a horse who absolutely loves this testing ground and unfortunately, we don’t.”