Thistlecrack backs up all predictions with World Hurdle win

Thistlecrack confirmed his position as the stand-out in his division as he comfortably won the Ryanair World Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Travelling beautifully throughout for Tom Scudamore, the Colin Tizzard-trained eight year-old led two out and shrugged aside the brave Alpha Des Obeaux to be crowned the champion three-miler.

Cole Harden made the running but he could not reproduce last year’s heroics as Thistlecrack stormed past.

The even-money favourite stormed up the hill to pull seven lengths clear of Alpha Des Obeaux. Festival regular Bobs Worth – winner of the Gold Cup in 2013 – plugged on for third place some 22 lengths away, with Cole Harden fourth.

Scudamore said: “I’ve spent my whole life running around in these races, nearly getting there, and finally I’ve got a horse like this. It’s unbelievable, I never realised it could be so easy!

“I always had lots of confidence in my fella, once we jumped the last it was all over. That was fantastic, what a racehorse. I think it’s fair to say he’s the best I’ve sat on.

“I wouldn’t mind jumping a fence on him, but he’s very good over hurdles. Wherever he goes, I’ll be following him, that’s for sure.”

Ruby Walsh recorded his 50th career Cheltenham Festival success when lifting Black Hercules home in the opening JLT Novices’ Chase.

Never far off the pace, the 4-1 co-favourite showed plenty of grit and determination as he gave Walsh and trainer Willie Mullins their fifth win at the meeting this week.

But there was high drama as the field got on its way when Zabana unseated Davy Russell ahead of a standing start, appearing to be cannoned into by Outlander and carrying on loose with the rest of the field.

Bristol De Mai made most of the running, but faced a strong challenge after both Garde La Victoire and Outlander came down at the fourth-last.

L’Ami Serge came through strongly and was upsides Black Hercules at the final fence, with Bristol De Mai and Three Musketeers just behind.

Black Hercules proved the strongest up the hill as he landed the spoils by three lengths from a rallying Bristol De Mai. L’Ami Serge was a length away in third.

Mullins said: “I thought he was gone at the second-last, he seemed to be wavering around a bit, but once Ruby got him balanced, he just powered up the straight.

“He would have been too free in the four-miler, so that’s why we changed (target).”

The trainer said Walsh was “different gravy”.

He told BBC Radio 5 live: “He’s the best jockey I’ve ever had riding for me.

“For the first time I saw him as an amateur, he was different gravy.

“My last winner (as a jockey) was beating him a short head and when I hung up my boots, I said, ‘That’s enough’.

“I always knew he’d be going for the top, he just oozed class.”

In the second race of the day Russell quickly made amends for being dumped at the start of the opener when landing a narrow success on Patrick Kelly’s six-year-old Mall Dini in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle Final.

Flintham set a good pace until headed after the second-last by Join The Clan, who tried to set sail for home.

His challenge was short lived as the pack closed in to produce a thrilling and dramatic finish.

Mall Dini (14-1) came out on top by three-quarters of a length from Arpege D’Alene (14-1) with the unlucky If In Doubt (10-1) a head away third and top-weight Taglietelle (14-1) fourth.

It was no surprise when a stewards’ inquiry was called following such a tight end to the race, but the result was soon confirmed.

Russell said: “He’s still a novice, all credit goes to Pat Kelly. What a man, not many people know him, he’s a very shrewd man from Galway.

“The tongue strap has definitely helped him, he was over-doing things a bit and not breathing properly. It’s all Pat Kelly’s doing, he knew what the horse wanted. He’s a genius.

“He pricked his ears at the last, when I landed I had to change my stick and he just wandered about a bit. He’s a very good horse, without a doubt.”

Kelly said: “He’s a nice horse, progressing the whole time.

“It’s very exciting. It’s great to have a winner at Cheltenham. I’ve been here twice and haven’t had much luck.

“We have a small number of horses. Philip (Reynolds, owner) and I have been friends for a long time and he was always on at me to buy a horse.

“He’s fine, big-looking horse with a fine pedigree.”

Reynolds said: “It’s incredible, I’ve dreamt about this for so long.

“Pat Kelly trains five horses in a tiny village, this is what racing is all about.

“Pat is a fantastic trainer, he told me to be patient, he thinks he’s a Grand National horse but we’ll settle for this.

“We beat the favourite (Leave At Dawn) in the qualifier so I knew we shouldn’t be far away.”

Empire Of Dirt powered through the field to give Bryan Cooper his first winner of the meeting in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase.

Cooper brought Colm Murphy’s nine-year-old with a steady run on the outside to put in a challenge from two out.

Empire Of Dirt (16-1), wearing the Gigginstown House Stud colours, kept on stoutly up the hill to beat Tango De Juilley by four lengths.

Kings Palace put up a solid performance to take third place a length and a quarter away, while Full Shift was fourth.

There were several casualties, including Stilletto unseating his rider at the third, Darna falling at the eighth fence, bringing down Bear’s Affair and badly hampering Fingal Bay, while Niceonefrankie came down at the fourth-last.

Cooper expressed delight at having secured his first Festival winner of the week.

He said: “It’s just a relief. I’ve had so many good rides, to be fair.

“I know the horses are running as good as they are, they are just coming up one or two better ones.”

Of Empire Of Dirt, Cooper said: “They went a good gallop and he won with a fair bit up his sleeve.”

Murphy said: “I was a bit animated coming down to the last, it’s fantastic.

“He’s hit the ground a few times along the way but he’s been a good buy and we gave him every chance today.

“He settled really well today, he has been hard on himself initially but he’s starting to enjoy his racing now.

“It’s nice to get a winner for Eddie and Michael (O’Leary) on Ryanair day.”

It has been a mixed week for Michael O’Leary and his Gigginstown operation with the low point being the death of No More Heroes after the RSA Chase, but the win was a boost for all.

O’Leary said: “It was great (to get a winner), I think it was more relief for Bryan Cooper as he was getting more stressed than me.

“Everyone in Ireland wants to win at Cheltenham and if you can’t win a graded race, it’s great to win a handicap.

“‘Tough’ needs to be put in the right context, it was a tragedy for Gordon Elliott and his team but there are more troubles around the world so it is not the end of the world losing the horse.

“They are jump horses and we love them dearly, sadly you always lose one or two but it always seems to be one of the good ones.”

Cooper said: “The horses have been running well, just been running into one or two better ones, look at Alpha Des Obeaux, he was 22 lengths clear of the third but Thistlecrack was in a league of his own.

“I was very lucky early, I was nearly bought down. I was meant to be handy, missed the break and I thought I could hear Michael and Eddie shouting at me in the crowd, but I took a chance and our luck changed.

“He’s a very good horse if you look back through his form, the better ground helped him as well.

“Colm always kept the faith and felt there was a big day in him.”