CHELTENHAM: Imperial Commander improved on his great record at Cheltenham when holding off the challenge of the hot-favourite Voy Por Ustedes to win the Ryanair Chase under Paddy Brennan.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’s 6-1 chance jumped with great fluency throughout the two-mile-five-furlong contest and had most of his rivals hard at work after clearing the third-last.
Despite jumping poorly late on, Voy Por Ustedes still looked a threat turning for home, but Imperial Commander galloped away to score by two lengths from the 4-5 favourite.
Imperial Commander, winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup over this course and distance back in November, disappointed on his latest outing in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
But he appears to be a different horse at Prestbury Park, eventually winning with a bit up his sleeve.
Voy Por Ustedes made a couple of errors down the back straight but, to his credit, he kept on well to fill the runner-up spot.
Schindlers Hunt was a largely-unconsidered 22-1 chance but he ran a fine race to get third, another three-quarters of a length in arrears.
“He just gallops and jumps and he kept pulling out more," Twiston-Davies said afterwards. “I was a bit worried because he hadn’t run for a long time and I thought they might catch him out.
“But he was brilliant and he could definitely come back next year for the Gold Cup as he won that race by staying.”
Of his Grand National entry, the trainer added: “I’ll have to talk to the owners.
“He’ll never get a weight like that again.”
Venetia Williams dominated the handicaps on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival when bagging the Freddie Williams Festival Plate with 33-1 stunner Something Wells and the Pertemps with Kayf Aramis.
The trainer has her Ross-on-Wye team on fire and also came close to notching a third success of the day when Pretty Star finished second to Character Building in the last.
Will Biddick partnered Something Wells, while Liam Treadwell was on stablemate Ping Pong Sivola in the Freddie Williams Festival Plate.
Between them they dominated the race that commemorates Cheltenham’s best-loved bookmaker, who died last year.
Ping Pong Sivola’s bold forcing tactics looked like paying off when the mare opened up a long lead coming down the hill.
But Biddick gradually closed the gap, led at the last and booted Something Wells to a three-quarter-length triumph.
Something Wells races in the silks of Favourites Racing but Biddick only rode the winner because he could not do the weight on Ping Pong Sivola.
“I was pretty speechless as they came up the hill,” said the trainer. “They’ve both run their hearts out and I’m absolutely thrilled.
“Will had never ridden Something Wells before, but Aidan Coleman was always going to be on Stan and Will couldn’t do the weight on Ping Pong.
“I told Liam to pop out and have Ping Pong handy while I suspect after this that Something Wells will get further — even though he hasn’t proved it yet.
“We’d only had four winner at the start of November but there have been more than fifty since then, so we have no complaints.”
Chapoturgeon, in the hands of Timmy Murphy, claimed the opening race in fine styles on day three of the festival.
Tony Martin’s favoured Northern Alliance could only manage fourth.
Chapoturgeon gave trainer Paul Nicholls his second win of the week as the the 8-1 chance travelled strongly throughout the two-mile five-furlong contest and cruised through to take up the running before the turn for home.
Murphy still had plenty underneath him running down to the final fence and after jumping it in style, he powered up the hill to score decisively from Isn’t That Lucky.
The John Smith’s Grand National awaits Character Building after his impressive one-length verdict over Pretty Star in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase.
Jamie Codd was at his strongest in propelling the 16-1 winner past the placed horses.
Trainer John Quinn hopes his winner will no longer be questioned over his resolve at the business end of a race.
Quinn said: “The horse has been called a few things but ran as straight as a gun barrel today.
“He’s in the National, to where we intend to take him, while I’ll put him in the Irish National as well."
Cheltenham Results
1.30 Jewson Novices Handicap Chase
1 Chapoturgeon (T J Murphy) 8-1
2 Isn't That Lucky (R McGrath) 11-1
3 Crescent Island (P J Brennan) 25-1
4 Northern Alliance (R Walsh) 8-1
20 ran
2.05 Pertemps Final
1 Kayf Aramis (A Coleman) 16-1
2 Buena Vista (T Scudamore) 10-1
3 Pennek (R Thornton) 9-1
4 The Sliotar (Mr D R Cook) 33-1
22 ran
2.40 Ryanair Chase
1 Imperial Commander (P J Brennan) 6-1
2 Voy Por Ustedes (R Thornton) 4-5 Fav
3 Schindlers Hunt (P W Flood) 22-1
10 ran
3.20 Ladbrokes World Hurdle
1 Big Buck's (R Walsh) 6-1
2 Punchestowns (B J Geraghty) 10-3
3 Powerstation (A J McNamara) 25-1
14 ran
4.00 Freddie Williams Festival Plate
1 Something Wells (Mr W Biddick) 33-1
2 Ping Pong Sivola (L Treadwell) 13-2 Fav
3 Notable D'Estruval (D N Russell) 8-1
4 Three Mirrors (G Lee) 9-1
23 ran
4.00 Freddie Williams Festival Plate
1 Something Wells (Mr W Biddick) 33-1
2 Ping Pong Sivola (L Treadwell) 13-2 Fav
3 Notable D'Estruval (D N Russell) 8-1
4 Three Mirrors (G Lee) 9-1
23 ran
4.40 Fulke Walwyn Muir Challenge Handicap Chase (amateurs)
1 Character Building (Mr J J Codd) 16-1
2 Pretty Star (Mr D R Cook) 16-1
3 Newbay Prop (Mr K E Power) 20-1
4 Bowleaze (Mr S Allwood) 16-1
24 ran