Golden day for magic Johnson
WHEN Native River carried top weight to win the gruelling Welsh National in 2016, Richard Johnson called it the performance of a future Cheltenham Gold Cup winner.
The dual champion jockey was proved right yesterday as the 5-1 shot showed the same determination to beat 4-1 favourite Might Bite by four and a half lengths, with 33-1 shot Anibale Fly third.
The victory came 18 years after Johnson won the race on Looks Like Trouble and a year after Native River finished third to Sizing John. It fulfilled a lifetime ambition for 62-year- old trainer Colin Tizzard, who had dreamed of winning the race he first witnessed as a ‘17-year-old young farmer standing on top of the Red Cross box by the winning post’.
Might Bite’s defeat denied trainer Nicky Henderson an historic treble after victories for Buveur D’Air in the Champion Hurdle and Altior in the Champion Chase.
But at least Native River’s triumph allowed the British to leave the Festival with some respectability. Despite being thrashed 17-11 in wins by the Irish, they kept the holy trinity of prizes at home.
Fifteen horses lined up for the Gold Cup, the most prestigious race of this four-day Festival, but only nine finished and, in reality, there were only ever two in it as eight-year-old Native River made virtually all the running, pressed throughout by Might Bite.
Road To Respect briefly threatened to join the leaders before hanging on for fourth but this was a two-horse war from a long way out. It was a battle all about heart and spirit and Native River just had too much for Might Bite in the muddiest ground for a Gold Cup since Master Oats won in 1995.
Johnson, who was banned for seven days and fined £6,550 for using his whip above the permitted level, said: ‘You could not ask for a better partner. He answered every call.’ Of his ban, Johnson added: ‘It is disappointing but I broke the rules. Hopefully, it will take nothing away from him and his performance.’
Tizzard, who trained Native River for retired farmers Anne and Garth Broom, who race their horses under the Brocade Racing banner, had had to nurse Native River back after he had picked up an injury in last year’s Gold Cup.
His stable has also struggled at times this season to keep their horses in 100 per cent health, But, after winning his only prep race at Newbury last month, Native River arrived at Cheltenham a fresh horse.
After a blank first three days, including when stable stalwart Cue Card pulled up in Thursday’s Ryanair Chase, Tizzard, who is assisted at the family stable by former jockey son Joe and daughter Kim, still felt he had his ace to play. Confidence was boosted when stablemate Kilbricken Storm, ridden by Harry Cobden, won the preceding Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
Tizzard said: ‘When I was younger I never dreamed I would have a runner here, let alone a runner and a winner. For me, the Gold Cup is everything in life. It doesn’t get better. This is the ultimate accolade for a horse.’
The biggest disappointment of the race was Our Duke, who never jumped with any fluency and was
pulled up four fences from home.
Definitly Red was in trouble a long way out before plugging on for sixth, Lizzie Kelly was seventh on Tea For Two and Edwulf never landed a blow in eighth.
The best of the Willie Mullins quartet was Djakadam, who added a fifth place to his two seconds and a fourth in the race.
What would have happened on drier ground can only be guessed at but Henderson felt the conditions did for Might Bite.
He said: ‘The ground was at its worst after the last fence but he put his head down and fought all the way.’