David Evans's defence was perfectly sound. "Well, I had to say something," he beamed. The 30-year-old Greystones-born jockey had just ridden by far the biggest winner of his career when the 25 to 1 Archive Footage trounced what had appeared an intensely competitive Ladbroke Hurdle field on Saturday.
Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United, presented him with his winning trophy and asked Evans what it felt like to win. "Brilliant," replied Evans, before adding: "But not as good as when Leeds beat Man Utd at Old Trafford."
Ferguson took it well, and considering that Archive Footage had scuppered thousands of bets and most Jackpots, so did everyone else. The obvious pleasure on Evans's face demanded nothing less.
The Ladbroke could become the defining moment of the jockey's riding career. In 14 years riding, he has ridden 56 winners. It's the sort of total that Tony McCoy or Richard Dunwoody would expect in a few months, but they are unlikely to have taken more pleasure from a victory as Evans did on Saturday.
It was all the sweeter because of how Evans had missed out on the 1998 Ladbroke winner, Graphic Equaliser, who had been switched from Frank Lacy's yard to Arthur Moore's before he hit the heights. "A fierce blow," Evans described it. For jockeys like Evans, such opportunities usually come just once. Indeed, Evans may have well have become best recognised as the jockey in the Leopardstown Christmas publicity campaigns, the one staring out from bus shelters and the like, donned in a sweater under the banner "Seasons Meetings". Archive Footage, bred to win a classic, though, has provided a very happy new year.
"Usually after a race I'm sitting in the jockeys room, having finished fifth or sixth and shouting about how well my horse ran. This hasn't really sunk in yet," he grinned. After all, Evans only came in for the ride the previous Tuesday, after Tony McCoy declared he was unavailable. Then there was Archive Footage's weight, 11-8, which only Barnbrook Again in 1987 had managed to win with. However, the horse's chance was ignored to everyone's cost.
"When things go right in a race for this horse, he can be very effective. I was on record that he would he finish in the first four," said trainer Dermot Weld, who was landing his first Ladbroke, along with owner Michael Smurfit.
"I'm thrilled for David, though. He has been with me a number of years, he's a great worker and a great team player. He's riding all my yearlings at the moment," said Weld.
Those yearlings are likely to be fit, because Evans had a serious workout on Saturday. Archive Footage was getting reminders after just the third flight and had to pushed along the backstretch. However, as the leaders came back, Archive Footage powered up the on the outside to lead on the turn-in.
The 40 to 1 outsider, Daraheen Chief, loomed as a danger, but a mistake at the last cost him and Archive Footage stretched away to win by nine lengths, with Its Time For A Win third and Palette fourth.
Weld nominated the County Hurdle at Cheltenham for Archive Footage, but Evans said: "He's not just a handicapper. He is very good. He made a competitive field looks slow with 11-8."
John Thomas MacNamara, on Daraheen Chief, reported that he was beaten anyway despite the mistake, but the joint favourites Advocat and Impulsive Dream were disappointing. "He couldn't handle the sticky ground," said Advocat's rider Paul Carberry. Impulsive Dream faded to second last.
If fortune went with Evans on Saturday, it didn't with claimer Gordon Elliot, who missed winning the Pierse Leopardstown Chase on Hollybank Buck. Tony Martin's gelding overhauled the front-running lightweight, Roundwood, in the closing stages under Norman Williamson, who replaced Elliot.
"Gordon has done a great job with this horse, and when he ran badly the last time, it was my fault," said Martin. "Gordon was told to be handy early on and the horse was over his head. Gordon didn't have the experience to disobey the orders and take a pull. With his 3lb claim I think he would have won, too, today, but Norman is the man in form and you don't have to tell these top jockeys much when they go out for a race."
Roundwood's rider, Garrett Cotter, who later won on Good Lad, got a three-day whip ban for his riding of Roundwood, and Joe Casey received the same for his winning ride on Florida Light in the Morris Handicap Hurdle.
Native Estates price for the SunAlliance Chase was cut from 25 to 1 to 14 to 1 with Grahams after an impressive success in the Fitzpatricks Novice Chase. "If he gets the trip he will be a serious candidate," said Noel Meade.
