Betbright Trial Chase |
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| Grade 2, Cheltenham 13:50 £100,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m 1f 110y, Class 1  |
|
| Saturday 30th January 2016 | |
1 Smad Place 9/2
2 Many Clouds 6/1
3 Theatre Guide 33/1
8 ran Distances: 12l, 24l, 7l
TIME 6m 58.10s (slow by 43.10s)
Hennessy winner Smad Place pulls away up the hill to win from Many Clouds
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Twelve months ago, Smad Place had been beaten into second place by Many Clouds but the places were reversed this time as Alan King's trailblazing grey took the honours.
However, the turning point of the race came when Djakadam fell at the 10th fence as he was about to get into contention.
Both horse and his rider Ruby Walsh got up.
Smad Place had led to that point and pushed on, but his old adversary Many Clouds was soon on his heels.
There was nothing between them but after last season's Grand National winner Many Clouds had briefly led, Smad Place (9-2) went on again approaching the last.
Partnered by Richard Johnson, who was deputising for the injured Wayne Hutchinson, the nine-year-old put in a prodigious leap at the final fence as he galloped to a 12-length victory.
Theatre Guide ran on to claim third place, another 24 lengths away.
Johnson said: "I'm very fortunate to get the spare ride.
"He jumped and travelled really well. He handled the conditions and that's a positive.
"He's uncomplicated."
King said: "He was in very, very good form today. I was desperate to run him."
King was quick to praise the role of super-sub Johnson.
The Barbury Castle handler said: "It's a shame for Wayne, but Dicky (Johnson) has given him a hell of a ride.
"It was a great exhibition of jumping.
"He keeps up a relentless gallop and he wouldn't have minded the ground.
"I was blown away in the Hennessy and slightly blown away again today - he does that to me, I'm thrilled.
Smad Place was slashed to around 14-1 from 33s for the Gold Cup.
Betbright Trial Chase
£100,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m 1f 110y, Class 1
8 ran
Going: Heavy
| Pos | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Smad Place (FR) 9/2 | R Johnson 11-6 |
A King | 9 | |
| 2nd | 12 | Many Clouds (IRE) 6/1 | L P Aspell 11-10 |
O Sherwood | 9 |
| 3rd | 24 | Theatre Guide (IRE) 33/1 | Aidan Coleman 11-6 |
C L Tizzard | 9 |
| 4th | 7 | The Giant Bolster 25/1 | T Scudamore 11-0 |
D G Bridgwater | 11 |
| 5th | 3½ | Sam Winner (FR) 20/1 | Sam Twiston-Davies 11-10 |
P F Nicholls | 9 |
| PU | O'Faolains Boy (IRE) 15/2 | N D Fehily 11-6 |
Miss R Curtis | 9 | |
| PU | Wakanda (IRE) 12/1 | Danny Cook 11-6 |
Mrs S J Smith | 7 | |
| F | Djakadam (FR) 5/6f | R Walsh 11-10 |
W P Mullins | 7 |
BETBRIGHT CUP CHASE - Past Results
Year Horse Owner Trainer Weight Jockey SP
1980 Raffi Nelson Mrs P Fry Nicky Henderson 7-11-06 Steve Smith Eccles 5/2
1981 Little Owl R Wilson Peter Easterby 7-11-12 Mr Jim Wilson 8/11f
1982 Lesley Ann B Gaule David Elsworth 8-11-12 Colin Brown 5/2
1983 Combs Ditch Jim Tory David Elsworth 7-11-08 Colin Brown 6/1
1984 Everett Kilian Hennessy Fulke Walwyn 9-11-08 Stuart Shilston 15/8f
1985 West Tip Peter Luff Michael Oliver 8-11-06 Richard Dunwoody 5/2
1986 Misty Spirit Mrs E Dixon Donald Lee 7-11-06 Steve Smith Eccles 9/1
1987 Abandoned
1988* Twin Oaks John Moreton David Murray-Smith 8-11-06 Paul Croucher 6/1
1989 Deep Moment Mrs M Curtis Mercy Rimell 7-11-03 Dermot Browne 12/1
1990 Toby Tobias Elizabeth Hitchins Jenny Pitman 8-11-06 Mark Pitman 5/4
1991 Celtic Shot D E H Horton Charlie Brooks 9-11-12 Peter Scudamore 8/11f
1992 Abandoned
1993 Sibton Abbey Geoff Hubbard Ferdy Murphy 8-11-12 Steve Smith Eccles 16/1
1994 Dubacilla Veronica Cole Henry Cole 8-10-12 Dean Gallagher 8/1
1995 Master Oats Paul Matthews Kim Bailey 9-11-06 Norman Williamson 6/4f
1996 Abandoned
1997 One Man John Hales Gordon Richards 9-11-12 Richard Dunwoody 2/5f
1998 See More Business John Keighley/Paul Barber Paul Nicholls 8-11-06 Timmy Murphy 9/4f
1999 Cyfor Malta David Johnson Martin Pipe 6-11-06 A P McCoy 10/11f
2000 Looks Like Trouble Tim Collins Noel Chance 8-11-06 Norman Williamson 100/30
2001 See More Business Paul Barber/Robert Ogden Paul Nicholls 11-11-10 Mick Fitzgerald 9/4
2002 Rince Ri Frank Moriarty Ted Walsh IRE 9-11-10 Ruby Walsh 9/2
2003 Behrajan The Behrajan Partnership Henry Daly 8-11-06 Richard Johnson 9/2
2004 Jair Du Cochet Miriam Montauban Guillaume Macaire FR 7-11-10 Jacques Ricou 11/4
2005 Grey Abbey The Roper Family/Norman Furness Howard Johnson 11-11-10 Graham Lee 100/30
2006** See You Sometime J Meaden Seamus Mullins 11-11-05 Andrew Thornton 18/1
2007 Exotic Dancer Sir Robert Ogden Jonjo O’Neill 7-11-06 A P McCoy 6/1
2008 Knowhere Raymond Mould Nigel Twiston-Davies 10-11-04 Paddy Brennan 16/1
2009 Joe Lively Richard Dimond Colin Tizzard 10-11-06 Joe Tizzard 11/1
2010 Taranis Angela Yeoman Paul Nicholls 9-11-00 Nick Scholfield 16/1
2011 Neptune Collonges John Hales Paul Nicholls 10-11-00 A P McCoy 11/2
2012 Midnight Chase Lady Clarke Neil Mulholland 10-11-06 Dougie Costello 11/2
2013 Cape Tribulation David Abell Malcolm Jefferson 9-11-06 Denis O’Regan 7/1
2014 The Giant Bolster Simon Hunt & Gary Lambton David Bridgwater 9-11-00 Tom Scudamore 6/1
2015 Many Clouds Trevor Hemmings Oliver Sherwood 8-11-10 Leighton Aspell 4/1
* Cavvies Clown was first past the post in 1988, but subsequently failed a dope test ** Staged at Wincanton
