William Henry makes it double for Henderson
HAVING won the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, trainer and jockey Nicky Henderson and Nico De Boinville were also on the mark in the Coral Cup with William Henry (28-1), who got up in the final stride to deny top-weight Wicklow Brave.
Tiger Roll (5-4 favourite) also won for the fourth time at the Festival with a very easy repeat win in the Glenfarclas Chase.
Gordon Elliott had endured a pretty miserable meeting until his favourite nine-year-old bolted up by 22 lengths, to strengthen his position at the head of the betting for the Grand National, a race he also won last year.
Elliott said: “Everyone knows it’s been a rough week. Horses haven’t been running up to par, a few of them haven’t been good enough and things haven’t been working.
“This horse has won at four Cheltenham Festivals now and a Grand National. He’s our first winner of the week and I won’t forget him.
“To win at four Cheltenham Festivals is class.”
Owner Michael O’Leary did offer up a note of caution regarding a second National bid, however.
He said: “This was his Gold Cup this year, I’m not sure we’ll go back for the National, he’s got a lot more weight.
“It’s not certain he’ll run and we’ve other horses for the National.”
Elliott also landed the Champion Bumper with the wellpunted Envoi Allen, the 2-1 favourite under Jamie Codd.
Topofthegame (4-1) looks to have a huge future after breaking his duck over fences in the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase.
Paul Nicholls has never made a secret of how highly he rates the giant seven-year-old and he finally lived up to those lofty expectations.
Given a confident ride by Harry Cobden he held off Santini by half a length.
Nicholls said: “I’ve always thought he is a very smart horse, he has not been the easiest to train but on his day he is good.
“Today was the only day we have trained him for and next year it will be the Gold Cup.”
City Island (8-1) saw off the challenge of Champ in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle in the hands of Champion Hurdle hero Mark Walsh.
Trained by Martin Brassil, who won the 2006 Grand National with Numbersixvalverde, he is owned by the Mulryan family who also sponsored the race.
It was a first Festival win for Brassil, who said: “It’s been a long time coming. You need good horses to bring here. We found one. He could be a Stayers’ Hurdle horse.”