Josies Orders wins Cross Country Handicap Chase

Josies Orders won a dramatic race for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

Nina Carberry brought the favourite from midfield to lead after jumping the last, galloping on resolutely up the hill to beat Any Currency and make it a seventh success in the race for Irish trainer Enda Bolger.

Although Kingsmere unseated his rider at around halfway, it was pretty uneventful until the closing stages as Valadom made most of the running.

It was all change at five out where Uncle Junior fell and Josies Orders almost came down, leading to a great recovery by Carberry.

Sire Collonges had every chance when he slipped and unshipped Sam Twiston-Davies on the turn before the second-last obstacle.

There were still plenty to play for at the final flight where Dogora was short of room and got rid of Katie Walsh.

Any Currency made a gallant bid to hold Josies Orders (11-4 favourite), but found the burden of conceding that horse 23lb too much after three-miles-seven furlongs and 32 obstacles. Bless the Wings was third and Valadom fourth.

Carberry said: “It all went wrong from the Canal Turn and even after that he still slipped up.

“He did it well and wanted to win — he loved every minute of it.

“He got me out of trouble a few times, he did well to get back to where he was. The weight probably helped him a lot and he’s a horse who likes to come from behind.”

Asked about Tony McCoy’s comments on Thursday that female riders could be offered a weight allowance, she quipped: “I’d take the 3lb if he was giving it to me!”

She added: “I can understand where he is coming from, but I don’t know whether it would create more opportunities.”

Bolger said: “Her (Carberry’s) experience showed again.

“There were horses falling around her and she got around them — she just gave him a great ride.

“Hopefully we’ll come back here in December and then on to the Festival.

“He won a three-mile hurdle at Ascot and Aintree, so he was no ordinary horse.

“You need a horse that relaxes, which he does, and I thought today was the best cross-country field that I have seen for one of these races.”

Earlier Shantou Village followed up his debut success over the smaller obstacles with a convincing victory in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle.

Winner of a point-to-point and a bumper, the Neil Mulholland-trianed five-year-old supplemented his Carlisle win in scintillating fashion.

Champers On Ice led to the second-last, where Shantou Village (9-2) went on and put the race to bed very quickly in the hands of Noel Fehily.

He had pulled 15 lengths clear at the line, with the 5-6 favourite Penglai Pavilion only third in a four-runner affair for Grade Two honours.

Fehily said: “He’s a very nice horse.

“He won the last day at Carlisle, but didn’t learn an awful lot.

“He’s a very, very good jumper. This horse will only get better, which is nice.”