Racing King George VI Chase: Edredon Bleu earned every possible plaudit with a brave display of fighting spirit and fluent jumping as he defied his advancing years to win the Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton yesterday.
In a fairytale result, the Henrietta Knight-trained gelding, who will be 12 next week, proved an unexpectedly perfect substitute in the race for stablemate Best Mate, the winner of the prestigious contest last year, who was diverted to Leopardstown for tomorrow's Ericsson Chase.
The 25 to 1 chance came into the £160,000 contest with question marks over his ability to see out the three-mile trip.
But instead of just silencing his doubters, the gelding - owned like Best Mate by Jim Lewis - knocked them over with a never-say-die performance that carried him to a one-and-a- quarter-length success over Tiutchev (20 to 1), who was a length ahead of third-placed First Gold (11 to 4).
Favourite Jair Du Cochet was a bitter disappointment, making a dreadful error at the fourth fence which dropped him back to last place and never being able to get back into the race after further jumping errors.
Eventually, the French challenger was pulled up approaching the fourth-last fence.
It had been his compatriot First Gold who looked the likeliest winner when taking the lead from Edredon Bleu and going a couple of lengths clear around the final bend.
But despite having Tiutchev also in hot pursuit, Jim Culloty managed to get another surge out of the winner which took them back into the lead by the third-last.
And two fine jumps in the home straight secured the prize, the 19th success from 39 starts in Edredon Bleu's long and distinguished career.
"As we get older, we get a bit slower," said Knight. "In 2000 he was the champion two-mile chaser and now he is the champion three-mile chaser - at Kempton anyway!
"He is an incredible horse. I hoped he would run well because I didn't want to look stupid if he didn't stay the three miles again, but I never thought he would win.
"Terry (Biddlecombe, Knight's husband) has always been adamant that he does stay three miles and with every race this season, he has been looking more and more like he wants it."
Knight reflected upon the decision to run Best Mate at Leopardstown, which led to Edredon Bleu taking his place in the field.
"I am just so pleased for the two Jims - for Jim Lewis because of the pressure he has been under and for Jim Culloty because he so wanted to win the King George, and yet he was always behind us all the way with sending Matey to Ireland," she said.
"It's a great relief and an amazing result. Everyone thinks it's some kind of Dick Francis-style conspiracy that he ran here instead of Best Mate but we were just trying to do our best for everyone and it has worked out brilliantly so far.
"Let's just hope that Best Mate can do the same tomorrow!"
