Bitter-sweet success for Jamie

STEP BACK produced an exhilarating frontrunning performance to win the Bet365 Gold Cup as the curtain came down on the jumps season at Sandown.

The Mark Bradstocktrained 7-1 shot pulled 13 lengths clear of Rock The Kasbah, ridden by champion jockey Richard Johnson, but it was bitter-sweet.

Earlier, Step Back’s jockey Jamie Moore had seen his younger brother Josh pick up another shoulder injury when Ar Mad, trained by his father Gary, fell fatally in the Celebration Chase won by Altior. Moore said: ‘It’s brilliant but I was down in the dumps because Ar Mad was killed and Josh has busted his shoulder again.’

Bradstock has his eye on the 2019 Grand National for Step Back, who had won a novice chase at Fakenham earlier this month.

It was a positive end to the season for the trainer, who has been able to run his injuryprone 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Coneygree only twice this season, with both races ending with him pulled up. The stable will have one last try with the 11-year-old next season.

Altior’s trainer Nicky Henderson, who also won with Top Notch, Call Me Lord and Soul Emotion as he was crowned champion for the fifth time, has hinted at a more adventurous campaign with Gold Cup runnerup Might Bite, starting with a possible shot at the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November. Willie Mullins topped a superb week at Punchestown, where he has wrestled the Irish title off Gordon Elliott, by landing the last two grade one races of the week with Benie Des Dieux and Saldier.