Long Run clinches Gold Cup glory

2011-03-18 17:03:40

Long Run justified his billing as 7-2 favourite by winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup with a superb display.

The win meant Sam Waley-Cohen, son of owner Robert, become the first amateur jockey in 30 years to win the race.

Long Run, trained by Nicky Henderson, won January's King George VI Chase but the six-year-old had struggled at Cheltenham on previous visits.

But he made no mistake this time around to beat previous winners Denman (8-1) and Kauto Star (5-1).

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Waley-Cohen delighted with Gold Cup success

"It's sort of nice it's over, to be honest. It was a great race, that's the thing," he said.

"Sam gave him a beautiful ride. There was just a moment when I thought he needed a bit of daylight going down the hill, but he was very confident and he was very professional."

"All credit to Sam, this is not exactly his day job, but he never panicked.

"The big horses were all there and he had to get through them, and he did. It was a wonderful ride. It was a great race because all the horses have run great races - there's no disputing it.

"This horse is still only six, so there is a lot to look forward to with him yet.

"Kauto Star was probably at his best today, but Long Run is a very good young horse."

It was a second win of the day for Henderson after Bobs Worth and Barry Geraghty edged out stablemate Mossley in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

Nicky Henderson and Barry Geraghty celebrate Bobs Worth's win

Paul Nicholls was full of praise for Zarkandar who maintained his unbeaten record over timber in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

In only his second run over hurdles after an impressive debut at Kempton, the 13-2 chance, ridden by Daryl Jacob, ran out an impressive two-and-a-quarter-length winner from the Irish filly Unaccompanied.

"Given the summer to strengthen up, he really could be anything. I've no doubts he could be a Champion Hurdle horse," said the Ditcheat handler.

"I was astounded with how he won at Kempton.

"He'd been going well at home but he'd been gelded and had taken a while to get over that.

"I just thought he might run well at Kempton, finish third or fourth, and then we'd put him away for the summer.

"But he's improved a massive amount from that run. Today he's travelled supremely and jumped. He picked them up the minute he wanted to and he's our little Hurricane Fly."

There was disappointment for amateur jockey Willy Twiston-Davies when he was unseated by the well-fancied Baby Run in the Christie's Foxhunter Chase two from home when well clear.

It handed the initiative to Derek O'Connor on the Zemsky (33-1) who went on to claim his second winner of the week.

Meanwhile, Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins finished as top jockey and trainer respectively after final-day success.

The pair combined on the 10-1 chance Final Approach in the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle, edging out Tony McCoy and Get Me Out of Here in a dramatic photo-finish.

It gave Walsh his fifth win of the week while Mullins later claimed his fourth win of the meeting when the 9-2 favourite Sir Des Champs put in a late charge to win the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.

Jockey Emmet Mullins, the nephew of Willie Mullins, kept the five-year-old in the rear but made steady progress late on to chase down Donald McCain's Son Of Flicka to win by half a length.

It followed the earlier wins for Hurricane Fly (Champion Hurdle) and Quevega (David Nicholson Mare's Hurdle) and saw him pip Paul Nicholls for the honour.

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E-mail this to a friend Printable version see also A golden year at Cheltenham 18 Mar 11 |  Horse Racing Cheltenham Festival - day four as it happened 18 Mar 11 |  Horse Racing Kauto Star fails as Long Run wins 15 Jan 11 |  Horse Racing Imperial Commander lands Gold Cup 19 Mar 10 |  Horse Racing BBC racing coverage 09 Apr 11 |  Horse Racing related bbc links: Have your say on 606 Racing weather Latest results related internet links: Cheltenham racecourse Cornelius Lysaght on Twitter Honest Frank on Twitter British Horseracing Authority Horseracing Ireland The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Skip to top PRODUCTS & SERVICES Daily and weekly e-mails Mobiles Desktop Tools News feeds Interactive TV Podcasts A-Z of Sports American Football Archery Athletics Badminton Baseball Basketball Bowls Boxing Canoeing Cricket Cycling Darts Disability sport Diving Equestrian Fencing Football Formula 1 Gaelic Games Golf Gymnastics Handball Hockey Horse Racing Ice Hockey Judo Modern Pentathlon MotoGP Motorsport Netball Rowing Rugby League Rugby Union Sailing Shooting Snooker Squash Swimming Table Tennis Taekwondo Tennis Triathlon Volleyball Weightlifting Winter Sports Wrestling blq.setLabel('searchSuggestion', 'Search BBC Sport');

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