Don Cossack gives Cooper a first Gold Cup win

Don Cossack won the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup today for jockey Bryan Cooper, trainer Gordon Elliott,and owner Michael O’Leary of the Gigginstown House Stud.

Battle

It was looking like it was going to be an epic battle between the top three in the betting, with Don Cossack, Djakadam and Cue Card all travelling well as the race moved into its final stages.

Cue Card’s connections were on track to collect a £1m bonus had the gelding won today, following victories in the Betfair Chase and King George IV Chase earlier this season. But the triple chase crown dream ended three fences from home when the 10-year-old fell – though thankfully he was quickly back on his feet, none the worse for his tumble.

It left the path clear for Don Cossack and Djakadam to do battle up the hill to the finish, with the winner kicking on to finish 4½ lengths clear and giving Cooper – who suffered a broken leg at this meeting two years ago – his first Gold Cup victory.

Foot perfect

“I can’t believe that’s happened – it was over so quick,” said jockey Bryan Cooper. “I couldn’t believe I was going that easy turning for home. He went to go round again at the bend after the last. He galloped the whole way to the line. He jumped great – he only missed one fence all the way round. Other than that, he was foot perfect.

Michael O’Leary had a superb Gold Cup, as he also owned the third-placed Don Poli. “I am actually so emotional,” he said. “Bryan gave Don Cossack a peach of a ride and for Don Poli to finish third is brilliant.”

Superb Skelton

Showjumper Nick Skelton was a very proud father today, after Superb Story won the Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle.

Superb Story is trained by Nick’s son Dan, and was ridden to victory by his other son Harry, giving both brothers their first Cheltenham Festival wins. “I’m so delighted for them. They work really, really hard. Hopefully they’re going to keep me in my old age,” Nick said afterwards.

“To get a winner is brilliant. This is like the Olympic games for National Hunt racing and to get a winner so early on in their career is terrific,” he added.

Former assistants

Before setting up as a trainer in his own right, Dan Skelton used to be pupil assistant to Champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

Another of Nicholls’ former charges also had his first Cheltenham win as a trainer, with the Harry Fry-trained Unowhatimeanharry winning the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle under Noel Fehily.

Paul Nicholls has had a quieter Festival this year compared to some previous years, but he finished the fixture with a winning double – winning the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle with Ibis Du Rheu (Jack Sherwood) and the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase Challenge Cup with Solar Impulse, ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies.

The first race of the day was the JCB Triumph Hurdle, which was won by Ivanovich Gorbatov– giving Barry Geraghty his first and only win of this year’s Festival.

It was a sixth Festival winner forIvanovich Gorbatov’s trainer Aidan O’Brien – who is better known as a Flat trainer. Though Aidan’s name was on the racecard, the actual training of the horse has been done by his son Joseph, who recently retired as a Flat jockey.

Draw

With all 28 races complete, the BetBright Cup was declared a draw, with trainers from Great Britain and Ireland ending the four-day Festival with 14 winners apiece.

With seven wins apiece, Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins took the leading Festival jockey and trainer titles respectively.

Unfortunately, there was a sixth fatality at the meeting – with Long Dog suffering from a catastrophic injury while galloping between hurdles.

A total of 260,579 people attended this year’s Cheltenham Festival, which was a new record.

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