Cheltenham Festival 2005 - Daily Telegraph Chase

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THISTHATANDTOTHER WINS DAILY TELEGRAPH CHASE

THISTHATANDTOTHER denied Fondmort in a thrilling finish to the new Daily Telegraph Festival Trophy Chase at Cheltenham on Thursday afternoon.

Fondmort held a slight advantage after jumping the last, but the Paul Nicholls-trained Thisthatandtother (9-2), ridden by Ruby Walsh, battled on just the better up the hill and wore down Nicky Henderson's charge in the last 50 yards to win by half a length.

Irish raider Rathgar Beau, who finished third, lost his winning chance with a mistake at the final fence when bang in contention.

Edredon Bleu and Seebald cut out the early running, with Fondmort and Thisthatandtother in close attendance.

Our Vic looked menacing, but two mistakes in quick succession on the second circuit knocked the stuffing out of the Martin Pipe-trained 7-4 favourite.

Mick Fitzgerald kicked for home on Fondmort after the third-last but he could not shake off Thisthatandtother, while Hand Inn Hand and Rathgar Beau were hot on their heels.

Rathgar Beau looked a real threat to Fondmort and Thisthatandtother coming to the last until Shay Barry almost went out the side door after jumping it, and he had to setle for third spot as the first two fought out a tremendous battle up the run-in.

"He deservedto win. He's been second to some really good horses. We gave him too much to do earlier in the season and I said to Ruby I want a really positive ride, because he stays the trip. Ruby did it brilliantly," Nicholls told Channel 4.

He added: "He'llgo to Aintree (for the Melling Chase). He's a relatively fresh horse.

"I think he'll be all right over three miles, so we've got to look at the King George with him."

Walsh said: "That was marvellous. I gave him a terrible ride in the Paddy Power to finish second to Celestial Gold.

"He was owed a race like this and it's great that he got it."

Fondmort's trainer Nicky Henderson said: "That was Fondmort enjoying himself at his best. You would have to say neither horse deserved to get beat, they were both very brave and it was a great race.

"It was the first time we have let him bowl along - you must not disappoint him - and he has loved it.

"You would have to think about the Grand National, but I will have to speak to his owners.

"It is an old saying, but for the National you need a two-and-a-half-mile horse but one with class, and he has class and he jumps.

"We will have to think about it, although there are other good races about."

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 Thisthatandtother wins a Daily Telegraph thriller
by Peter Thomas

IF you needed to lay on a spectacle to convince a wavering public that a brand new two-and-a-half-mile championship race at a four-day Festival was a jolly good idea, then you couldn’t have laid it on any thicker than this with a shovel.

The strictly non-traditional Grade 2 Daily Telegraph Festival Trophy Steeplechase hasn’t been everybody’s cup of tea in the ‘should-we-shouldn’t-we’ build-up to a revamped Cheltenham, but you’d have a hard job convincing either Paul Nicholls or the 50,000-plus Thursday crowd that it’s now anything other than the sweetest sugar lump in a fresh-tasting brew.

"The race is just the job for him," said the lord of Ditcheat after he’d watched Thisthatandtother get him off the mark for the week with a points victory in hand-to-hand combat with the bold Fondmort. The roar from the stands suggested it was just the job for a thrill-thirsty crowd, as well.

Previously, the nine-year-old son of Bob Back would have fallen between the stools of the two-miler and the Gold Cup, but on Thursday he found both his niche and his pedestal at a trip that allowed Ruby Walsh to ride him to his considerable strengths rather than trying to stretch him too soon or save him for later.

Reflecting on this season’s run of three second places on the same track, Nicholls said: "When they start getting a string of seconds, people start to question them, but he’s been a little unlucky and we rode him too negatively in the Paddy Power, to get the trip.

"But this was always going to be his race and today, on the better ground, we were able to ride him far more positively and I knew he’d keep on galloping up the hill. He deserved to win a big race and he’ll get further, but we’ll keep him to two miles five at Aintree. He’s a fresh horse, really."

Looking further ahead, winning owner Graham Roach is eyeing a shot at the King George this Christmas, and it will take a tough man to knock Walsh out of the saddle for that one.

The silky smooth Irishman had Thisthatandtother handily placed from a long way out, tracking the pace set by Edredon Bleu, who dropped away like a fading force, and Fondmort, under Mick Fitzgerald, who didn’t.

The first two began to lock horns between the last two fences and Walsh confessed to being unsure of gaining the day, even as he cajoled his mount ahead halfway up the run-in, leading and then trailing Fondmort in successive, head-bobbing strides. The winning margin of half a length doesn’t do the duel justice.

If Rathgar Beau hadn’t made a pig’s ear of the last, he might have got in the mix, as well, but Walsh was delighted not to have the Irish raider sneak in to the corner of his eye.

He said: "They didn’t go as fast as they did in the Paddy Power and I was able to hold a good spot, but I honestly didn’t think I’d get to Fondmort going between the last two.

"Fitzy’s a hard man to get by - he always seems to save a bit - but my fellow battled well."

Even the vanquished offered their seal of approval to the new event. Fondmort’s trainer, Nicky Henderson, gushed: "That was my fellow enjoying himself at his best. He probably didn’t deserve to get beaten, but nor did the other one. It was a great race.

"Now we’d have to think about the Grand National, as you don’t get too many chances." He’s a 33-1 shot (from 50s) with Paddy Power.

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 CHELTENHAM (17 Mar 2005)

ANALYSIS: The inaugural running of an event intended as a championship decider over this intermediate distance. It resulted in the most thrilling finish of the meeting so far, with THISTHATANDTOTHER and Fondmort locked in battle from three out and Rathgar Beaujoining them at the last, but nobody could argue that any of the leading protagonists are champions in the proper sense of the word. After all, the winner was getting 20lb when Well Chief beat him here in the Victor Chandler Chase.
Thisthatandtother has had a frustrating time this season, adding seconds in three good handicaps at Cheltenham to similar placings in top novices at Aintree and Ayr in the spring. He deserved to win a decent race, and this was it, but his success owed much to another terrific ride from Ruby Walsh, who changed his whip twice on the run-in and got him up close home after a ding-dong battle up the hill in which fortunes see-sawed. He will go to Aintree now, where he will face a stiff task if the brilliant Moscow Flyer turns up, and next season Paul Nicholls reckons he will stay three miles well enough to have a crack at the King George.
Like many in his stable, Fondmort has been out of sorts for much of the season. However, he has run the races of his life over the course and distance, winning a Tripleprint and a Paddy Power and gaining good placings in other top handicaps, and the stable's double on Wednesday suggested a return to form could well be on the cards.
Given the most positive of rides by Mick Fitzgerald,who knows him so well, he jumped brilliantly throughout and gave his all, for much of the race looking much the likeliest winner. He answered every call, but ultimately just lost out. Connections are toying with a crack at the Grand National, and one could see him rising to the occasion and giving a very bold account of himself. However, there will be a major question mark over his stamina, and there is precious little modern evidence to support the old maxim that dictates that classy two-and-a-half milers can do well in the National.
Rathgar Beau may have been a shade unlucky. A confirmed hold-up horse, he was given the most patient of rides and crept on to the heels of the leaders straightening for home after being a little detached from the leading quintet at the top of the hill. He was launching his challenge and only half a length or so down on the two principals when he hit the last and nearly shot his rider high out out of the saddle. The recovery was quick, but the lost momentum was possibly crucial. He could take the winner on again at Aintree, but also has a very valuable race at Punchestown on his agenda.
Hand Inn Hand was keen early on, then travelled well at the rear of the leading group. He hit the twelfth, six fences from home, but stayed in the leading group down the hill until struggling from two out. He was one-paced and beaten in fourth when his rider dropped his whip between the last two fences.
The winner's stablemate Le Roi Miguel does not shine at Cheltenham and is better on a flat track. He didn't run at all badly in the circumstances, and judged on his Huntingdon defeat of Farmer Jack connections are entitled to expect a big run from him at Aintree.
Mixsterthetrixster was out of his depth but completedin his own time for sixth-place prize-money.
Disappointment of the race was Our Vic, who was pulled up on the run-in. The form of his last-fence fall here in December entitled him to win, as he was clear of eventual second Thisthatandtother at the time, and he was getting only 2lb. He was let down mainly by his jumping, losing momentum and giving his supporters a scare when overjumping and pecking at the eleventh fence, then losing his place after clouting the fourth-last. His fall here was a very heavy one - he took a long time to get up and many feared the worst - and while reports suggested it had not affected him adversely once he got over the severe bruising, he will have a lot to prove when he reappears. His reputation owes more to hype than substance.
Edredon Bleu, now 13, sadly disappointed yet again, as did Native Upmanship, another grand veteran. Seebald, injured at Lingfield on his latest start, was also pulled up, having lost his place quickly down the far side, as was Valley Henry, who seems to have completely lost his way.
Risk Accessor, who sweated up, had a stiff task and was well beaten when he fell at the last. (GD)

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