CHELTENHAM: Weapon's Amnesty hung on grimly to deny Ruby Walsh and Paul Nicholls another victory with Pride Of Dulcote in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, bringing Ireland's total winners to nine for the Cheltenham Festival so far. The six-year-old was a Grade Three winner at Limerick for trainer Charles Byrnes earlier in the year and he looks to have a promising future.
Walsh was never far from the pace and kicked on coming down the hill but Davy Russell always had him in his sights to reward punters at 8-1 as he held on by half a length with The Midnight Club back in third.
Walsh and Nicholls had already had a winner after American Trilogy turned the usually competitive Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle into a procession. The win meant Walsh has set a new jockey’s target of six wins for the festival.
Connections thought they had a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle candidate on their hands earlier in the season but things have not gone according to plan since.
However, despite being sent off at 20-1, Walsh was always cantering on the grey before streaking clear to win by 11 lengths.
Stradbrook ran on for second with Cockney Trucker third and Nortonthorpe Lad fourth.
Khyber Kim set off at scorching pace with first-time blinkers but was never going to be able to keep up that gallop.
Plenty emerged with serious chances coming down the hill, not least Gloucester and Sky Hall who both looked to be going seriously well.
However, Walsh was tracking in behind and he absolutely oozed confidence, kicking on and powering away from his rivals.
Cockney Trucker ran a big race for a novice, Kandari flattered to deceive in fifth while Dave’s Dream, in search of the #75,000 bonus after winning last Saturday’s Imperial Cup, ran with credit to finish sixth.
Walsh said: “It’s great to have ridden six winners. It’s not something you think you are ever going to do.
“I’ve had some tremendous rides and I’m so lucky to ride for people like Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins, champion trainers in their respective countries. To ride for them is an honour.
“When he ran at Ascot I said he’d win the County Hurdle when I got off him. He ran away with me there and ran a lot better than people thought, and he’s bolted in today.”
Barry Geraghty and Nicky Henderson were back in the winner’s enclosure as Zaynar confirmed form with Walkon in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.
The two had met earlier in the season at Newbury but many expected Alan King’s Walkon to turn the tables as he was meeting the Henderson inmate on 7lb better terms.
However, fitted with cheekpieces for the first time, the son of Daylami found plenty for pressure up the hill and battled gamely for a famous victory.
Mourad stayed on well for third with Starluck failing to get up the hill in fourth.
Oliver Brady's Ebadiyan made sure the race was run at its usual frenetic pace with Walkon also prominent early, but on the run to the second-last flight he dived out through the wing. Neither horse or jockey were hurt.
Geraghty said: “He’s very tough. When Oliver Brady’s horse ran out at the second-last he left me in front which wasn’t ideal, but he was only doing enough.
“He was always finding. He hasn’t had that much experience but he had a lot in the tank.”
Henderson added: “It was a good race, they are two tough four-year-olds, they gave everything.
“I just feel a bit sorry for Kingy because they’ve run against each other before and that is where the form for the race came from.
“We knew he’d stay. I just didn’t know what was going to happen when he got tackled but he was very brave.
“He only had two runs on the Flat so you’d hope there’s more to come.
“I think you can safely say that will be it for the year because Aintree wouldn’t be his track. I think he’ll be a really nice horse next year.”
Cappa Bleu advertised his potential with a fine performance in the Christie's Foxhunter Chase.
In a race widely regarded as the amateurs' Gold Cup, the Sheila Crow-trained seven-year-old was sent off the 11-2 second favourite after arriving unbeaten in point-to-points this season.
However, his participation was in some doubt in the days leading up to the race because of his failure to compete under Rules due to the adverse weather.
Ridden by Richard Burton, one of the most respected amateur jockeys on the English circuit, he was never far from the pace.
Turthen, under Charlotte Tizzard, emerged as a real threat at the last along with long-time leader Baby Run, but Cappa Bleu powered up the hill to win by 12 lengths.
Nicky Henderson notched up his third winner of the week when Andytown spoiled the Pond House dream in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.
David Pipe saddled eight runners in the race named in honour of his father but the best he could manage was third with Big Eared Fran.
Andytown (25-1) travelled supremely well throughout for Felix de Giles, but for a brief moment it looked as if Neil Mulholland's small yard were going to cause a 100-1 shock as Midnight Chase hit the front.
Having won at the track in November, Andytown was put up a massive 18lb for that success but the handicapper has obviously still not got to grips with him.
Big Eared Fran made stealthy headway before flattening out in third but Andytown bolted up by nine lengths.
Alan King finally got off the mark at the Festival in the final race when Oh Crick ran out a game winner of the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase.
King has saddled four seconds throughout the week and must have thought he was going to leave the meeting empty handed after some narrow defeats.
However, sent into handicap company for the first time the six-year-old prevailed in a driving finish from Charlie Mann's Moon Over Miami who ran a stormer at 20-1.
Unfortunately for stable jockey Robert Thornton, he could not get down to the minimum weight of 10st so it was left to Wayne Hutchinson to do steering aboard the 7-1 shot and claim his first Festival winner.
There was three-quarters of a length in it at the line with a further seven lengths back to Nicky Henderson's French Opera.
Cheltenham Day Four Results
1.30 JCB Triumph Hurdle
1 Zaynar (B J Geraghty) 11-2
2 Walkon (R Thornton) 4-1 Fav
3 Mourad (R Walsh) 14-1
4 Starluck (T J Murphy) 5-1
18 ran
2.05 Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle
1 American Trilogy (R Walsh) 20-1
2 Stradbrook (R P McLernon) 66-1
3 Cockney Trucker (R Johnson) 17-2
4 Nortonthorpe Lad (D Jacob) 50-1
27 ran
2.40 Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle
1 Weapon's Amnesty (D N Russell) 8-1
2 Pride Of Dulcote (R Walsh) 3-1 Fav
3 The Midnight Club (Emmet Mullins) 14-1
17 ran
3.20 totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup
1 Kauto Star (R Walsh) 7-4 Fav
2 Denman (S Thomas) 7-1
3 Exotic Dancer (A P McCoy) 8-1
16 ran
4.00 Christie's Foxhunters Chase
1 Cappa Bleu (Mr R Burton) 11-2
2 Turthen (Miss C Tizzard) 25-1
3 Baby Run (Mr S Twiston-Davies) 14-1
24 ran
4.40 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle
1 Andytown (Felix De Giles) 25-1
2 Midnight Chase (M M O'Connor) 100-1
3 Big Eared Fran (J W Farrelly) 7-2 Fav
4 Font (Harry Skelton) 14-1
23 ran
5.15 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase
1 Oh Crick (W Hutchinson) 7-1
2 Moon Over Miami (N Fehily) 20-1
3 French Opera (M Foley) 10-1
4 Tramantano (P J Brennan) 33-1
18 ran