/ Simon Rowlands / 19 March 2010 / Leave a Comment

Simon Rowlands looks back on the final day of Cheltenham and the Fesitval as a whole and finds that Imperial Commander's win was the finest of them all

They came from far and wide to Cheltenham on Friday to see 'The Showdown To Beat All Showdowns' between Kauto Star and Denman in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and got served up something rather different but still very special.

Following months of expectation, the scarves and banners, the news coverage and the pop song, it still had to come down to the horses themselves to do the talking. The 2008 winner Denman found his voice again, but the 2007 and 2009 winner Kauto Star fluffed his lines, and in the end a horse emerged who was more fluent than either of them.

Imperial Commander had been out of the spotlight, but it shouldn't be forgotten that he had won the Ryanair Chase here last year and had all but beaten Kauto Star in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November (that does not look such bad form now, eh?!). And in the race itself he showed too much speed and stamina for a Denman that was back to nearly his best, coming through under a polished ride from Paddy Brennan to lead approaching two out, then steadily seeing off that rival to win by seven lengths.

Kauto was in trouble some way out and, while not far back when departing four out, surely would not have been a major player on this occasion. Fortunately, the champion was none the worse for the incident.

If it was difficult to accept Imperial Commander as a top-notcher before this, it surely is not now. There were 23 lengths back to Mon Mome (running a solid trial for the Grand National, for which he can be backed at [15.0] on Betfair) and the long-time-leader Carruthers, both very smart chasers.

That looks seriously good form, if not quite up there with Kauto Star's King George romp. As a nine-year-old, there is every reason to expect Imperial Commander to be back as good again next year, especially as he has not had a great deal of racing. Both Imperial Commander and Kauto Star were offered at [5.9] on Betfair for next year's race.

Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies deserves great credit for getting Imperial Commander right when it was most needed, and things went from good to brilliant to better for the Twiston-Davies household. Nigel's son Sam rode Baby Run to victory in the Foxhunter Chase 40 minutes later and Paddy Brennan steered the stable's Pigeon Island to success in the concluding Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase.

Baby Run galloped his rivals, and ultimately himself, into the ground for a rare success for a market leader, while Pigeon Island came very late for his win, turning over French Opera and Consigliere ([1.17] in running).

The previous three winners of the JCB Triumph Hurdle - Katchit, Celestial Halo and Zaynar - finished respectively first, second and third in the following year's Champion Hurdle, but it must be wondered whether this year's victor Soldatino will have the speed for that race even if he is good enough. It was stamina and jumping that won him the day in a race in which Barizan was still nearly 20 lengths clear approaching the last (matched at [1.3] in running). The latter tired and blundered at that flight, enabling Soldatino to gallop past with 100 yards to go.

Very few others looked like getting into this, with Alaivan (third) flattering to deceive when going second before two out and Carlito Brigante (fourth) in trouble before that. The race did not look to have a great deal of strength in depth beforehand but at least the winner is unbeaten in hurdles (having started in the French Provinces) and going the right way.

Thousand Stars came from some way back to land the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle by three lengths, with jockey Katie Walsh showing a little more restraint and polish than when thrashing home Poker de Sivola earlier in the week.

The ground, which already seemed somewhat softer than on the previous day, started to deteriorate as rain fell after the second, and conditions proved all too much for most in the three-mile novice hurdle. It was a finish of outsiders, with Berties Dream (Betfair SP of [51.0] and matched in running at [190.0]) plugging on to beat my fancy Najaf (BSP [54.75] and as low as [1.12] in running) and Kennel Hill (BSP [89.17]).

I doubt that the principals will prove out of the top drawer, but one to look out for further back is Arvika Ligeonniere, a lightly raced chasing type who went just about best until after two out.

It seemed a very long way home in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, though perhaps not quite far enough for in-running backers of Radium (matched at as short as [1.32]), who could not get going again after stumbling at the last, being beaten three and a quarter lengths by the gutsy Emma Lavelle-trained Pause And Clause.

What kind of a Festival was it, then? There were many good performances but perhaps only one outstanding one, from Imperial Commander. It was a good Festival for several trainers and jockeys, but not such a good one for trainer Paul Nicholls, who had hopes of winning all four big races at the outset but ended up with just one (Big Buck's in the World Hurdle). It was a good one for lively and informative coverage on Racing UK, in my opinion, but a poor one for many punters, with apparent "good things" going down left, right and centre. And it was a poor one financially (thank goodness for the all-weather) but a good one otherwise for me.

The welcome news is that it is less than 365 days until the next one, and just eight days until the start of the Flat turf season at Doncaster. Now THAT has lifted my spirits!

Winner/Form Rating/(Sectional from 3 out chases, 2 out hurdles)
Soldatino 148 (61.6 sec leaders, 57.8 sec winner)
Thousand Stars 140 (55.0 sec)
Berties Dream 148 (59.9 sec)
Imperial Commander 183 (59.4 sec)
Baby Run 138 (67.4 sec)
Pause And Clause 146 (59.5 sec)
Pigeon Island 137 (59.7 sec)

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