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CAPTAIN GUY DISNEY, whose lower right leg was blown off by a grenade in 2009 while he served in Afghanistan, was the hero again at Sandown Park when steering Rathlin Rose to back-to-back wins in the Royal Artillery Gold Cup.

Sent off the 9-4 favourite, the popular jockey looked up against it when Renard and Captain Will Kellard blazed off in front, but coming to the last fence he produced Rathlin Rose to snatch the prize.

“You can’t bottle the feeling of winning this race,” said Disney after he was cheered into the winner’s enclosure.

“I didn’t want to rest on my laurels from last year. But I have to admit, I was very nervous going out there today. But the feeling of winning is a complete drug.

Amazing

“I thought Renard would come back to us. My horse had run a good race in the Welsh Grand National and I knew he had the stamina to get there.

“A class performance from the David Pipe team (the winning stable) getting him ready.

“What is amazing, when you ask him to go, he has amazing speed. I went down to see Rodi Greene, the former jockey and now coach, in the week. He said try not to be too busy on him.

“I’ve had a few heavy falls this year (in pointto-points) and I was just trying to calm things down a bit. There’s more time than you think and you don’t have to rush.

“Horses like him know what they are doing. I had been guilty in the past of asking him for big ones.”

Disney, who went on to win last year’s Grand Military Gold Cup, also at Sandown, is now unbeaten in three rides on the 10-year-old.

“There is no point enjoying a winner a year ago,” added Disney, who when not riding takes army veterans to Zimbabwe, learning medical skills.

“It’s all about now and I want to win next month’s Military Gold Cup.”

Nick Gifford plans to return to Sandown for the EBF Final after Notre Ami took the Smarkets Novices’ Hurdle in the hands of Leighton Aspell. But it was the Cheltenham Festival that the Findon trainer wanted to talk about.

Gifford runs Didtheyleaveuoutto in the Champion Bumper.

Unbeaten in his two races, the gelding is the 8-1 third favourite for the Cheltenham race.

“He will have a racecourse gallop before the race,” said Gifford.

“He’s in great form. I would not swap him for anything.”