Good

2:35 Martell Cognac Cup Chase (Class A) Grade 2 (5yo+)

[off 2:36] £87,000.00, £33,000.00, £16,500.00, £7,500.00, £3,750.00, £2,250.00 19 fences 3m1f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Tiutchev M C Pipe 11 11-12 A P McCoy 11/2 167 114 171+

2 3½ First Gold (FR) F Doumen 11 11-12 b T Doumen 6/4F 111 168

3 3½ Hand Inn Hand H D Daly 8 11-12 M Bradburne 6/1 156 108 165+

4 3 Fondmort (FR) N J Henderson 8 11-8 M A Fitzgerald 15/2 161 102 157

5 14 Seebald (GER) M C Pipe 9 11-8 R Greene 20/1 152 90 149+

6 1½ Valley Henry (IRE) J Howard Johnson 9 11-12 G Lee 5/1 155 93 149+

7 20 Glenelly Gale (IRE) A L T Moore 10 11-12 C O´Dwyer 33/1 77 126

PU Cyfor Malta (FR) M C Pipe 11 11-8 T J Murphy 33/1 150 — —

8 ran TIME 6m 19.60s (slow by 12.60s) TOTAL SP 108%

1st OWNER: The Liars Poker Partnership BRED: Exors Of The Late Mrs D M De Rothschild TRAINER: M C Pipe

2nd OWNER: John P McManus

3rd OWNER: Patrick Burling Developments Ltd

TOTE TRIFECTA Pool of £1,697.16 - 20.60 winning units WIN £5.90 PL £1.50, £1.40, £2.00; Ex £9.90; CSF £13.40Pool of £1,697.16 - 20.60 winning units

ANALYSIS: A competitive race for the Martell Cup, though most were exposed performers and it didn't throw up an obvious challenger to Best Mate's crown. TIUTCHEV, who ran so well when second in the King George, and again when third to Azertyuiop over an inadequate two miles at the Festival, gained a well-deserved first win of the season. In a race run at just a fair pace, he was always in touch, and gradually asserted in the straight to score ridden out. He clearly stays 3m1f on a sharp track like this, thoughwould be the ideal sort for a 2m4f championship event.

No obvious excuses for last year's winner First Gold, who made the running, jumped well but was outpointed over the last two.

Considering he had 11lb to find with both the first two on official ratings, this was a sound run by Hand Inn Hand, who was racing over three miles for the first time. At the weights he ran a fine race, and finished closer than he was entitled to, but the way he travelled, looking the likely winner early in thestraight, suggests that the trip was just too far for him.

However, he was clear of Fondmort, who is not easy to place off his current mark of 161, but also gives the impression that this sort of trip stretches his stamina to the limit.

Seebald had plenty to find at the weights, and set himself plenty to do after early jumping errors. Another mistake at the fourth-last cost him any chance, but he was struggling at the time.

Valley Henry did well to recover from a bad mistake at the 12th, but he began to feel the effects of that error at the cross fence after which he gradually faded out of contention.