CHELTENHAM'S OPENING race of the Open meeting ended in controversy after Hoopy had beaten Alexanderthegreat. Connections of the runner-up objected to the winner after his rider Jason McKeown lost his whip and then took the one belonging to King Harald's rider Donal Devereux.

The incident happened before the third-last as the race for The Irish Times Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase hotted up.

King Harald was fading out of contention after being up with the pace, while Hoopy was beginning to make his challenge. Hoopy (15 to 2), trained in Co Meath by Gordon Elliott, stayed on strongly to beat the always-prominent Alexanderthegreat and Ian Chanin by three and a half lengths. The placings, however, remained unaltered.

McKeown said: "I lost my irons and dropped my stick when he made a mistake. I think the other guy (Devereux) was a bit gobsmacked when I took it at the top of the hill and once I gave the horse one or two smacks, it got him going again and he came back on the bridle and started to travel.

"They were going too fast early on, but his jumping got better when I got him to the rear of the field."

Hoopy's win came at a cost to McKeown, who was suspended two days for improper riding.

McKeown added: "I didn't cause any inconvenience and I didn't try to knock anybody over - I just borrowed the stick for a while."