Il Ridoto made it third time lucky to finally land the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham, with rising star Freddie Gingell shining in the saddle.
The Paul Nicholls-trained gelding was fourth in the famous handicap in 2022 and third in 2023, but has seen his rating slide since and was looking to put a disappointing end to last season behind him.
Gingell, who claims 3lb, took his opportunity with both hands on the 10-1 chance – who was continuing a sensational spell for co-owners Ged Mason and Sir Alex Ferguson – and cruised to a four-and-half-length victory ahead of 2022 winner Ga Law.
“It’s days like this we really dream of,” Gingell said.
“Down the hill I saw Harry (Cobden) give Ginny’s (Destiny, stablemate) a little squeeze and I thought ‘I’m still happy here’.
“He’s done it really well in the end, a big thanks to everyone at home and all the owners. It’s amazing.
“I was told to be nice and handy, he was jumping for fun and he just winged the third (fence) down the hill.
“I thought I’d got there too soon, but Paul told me that when I turn in, to kick on no matter what so I did and he’s done it easy.”
On where the victory ranks in his burgeoning career so far, Gingell said: “It’s right up there, I can’t probably top the Grade One (on Elixir De Nutz in the Clarence House at Ascot in January) yet, but it’s definitely up there.”
‘Why not dream?’ – L’Eau Du Sud oozes class in Arkle Trial success
L’Eau Du Sud jumped for fun to take the Paddy Power Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase with ease, leaving Dan Skelton to dream of what the future might hold.
The dashing grey was impressive on his chasing debut at Stratford by 10 lengths and connections wasted little time in going for Grade Two honours in the wake of that.
L’Eau Du Sud and Harry Skelton
The 10-11 favourite began to look worthy of his estimation early in the race with a neat round of jumping, as he travelled along fluently in the hands of Harry Skelton.
Up the hill he put the race to bed with little fuss, pinging the last and eventually crossing the line 11 lengths to the good of Western Zephyr and Lookaway, continuing a fine two days for his owners, including Sir Alex Ferguson.
Skelton said: “I’ll always defend my horses, but I try not to overhype them because they have enough pressure on them anyway.
“I think with a horse like him and seeing what we’ve seen, you’re very entitled to get excited. He’s done it around the track, he’s got the form in the book and while there will be horses going chasing who achieved more over hurdles than he did, they’ve got to go and prove their suitability.
“We’ve got one tick in the box, I’m sure others will come out and do the same, we’ll go to Sandown now (Henry VIII) where he’ll try to prove he’s the best two-mile novice chaser in the UK. I’m sure Nicky (Henderson) will have something to say about that with one or two and so will Paul (Nicholls), but I’d be confident enough to say there’s a level to come up to with them, it’s impressive to go and do that around here.”
He went on: “What you’ve got to remember is there’s lots of good horses on both sides of the Irish Sea. Sometimes you don’t get the prep runs into them and you don’t see how good they are until their third runs and sometimes the third run doesn’t go well.
“Sometimes the spring doesn’t go well, look at Nicky last year and that wiped out 30 per cent of the UK’s Cheltenham team in one swoop. It’s hard, but I think we’ve got really good horses in this country. But I always say you want to try competing against them.
“I know Willie (Mullins) is hard to beat and so are Gordon (Elliot) and Henry (de Bromhead), but so are the trainers over here.
“This is the best team I’ve ever had and we’ve always hoped to be in the position we are in.
“There are some with sexier form and if Ballyburn goes chasing everyone will be talking about him. We know how hard it is going to be, but why not dream?”
Paddy Power cut the winner to 16-1 from 40s for the Arkle Trophy back at Cheltenham in March.
East India Dock cruises to deeply impressive Triumph Trial victory
East India Dock made the lightest possible work of the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle when sauntering to a straightforward victory.
The James Owen-trained three-year-old was formerly campaigned on the Flat for owner-breeders the Gredley family and made a winning hurdles debut at Wincanton last time out.
Well-backed as the 4-5 favourite stepping up to Grade Two level, victory never looked in any doubt.
In a field of 10 nothing could go with him when Sam Twiston-Davies kicked for home and he cantered across the line 18 lengths ahead of Olly Murphy’s Static.
As a result, Coral made East India Dock their 8-1 favourite from 25-1 for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
East India Dock heads for home
Owen – who took this race 12 months ago with the also-impressive Burdett Road – said: “He’s a lovely horse and he took to it well at Wincanton. I knew the staying track would suit as all he does is stay this horse, but he’s got a lot of class so he’s really exciting.
“I’ve no plan as where to go next but all roads lead to the Triumph, he might just have the one more run before then.
“It’s amazing how the Gredley family are keeping these horses in training as they are very valuable in the overseas market.
“They want winners at Cheltenham, we did it last year with Burdett Road so now we just need to get this lad to the Festival now and hopefully we can have a bit more success.
“We’ve got quite a few this year so hopefully it gives us a few cracks at it.”
Owen went on: “He just relaxes more than Burdett Road did at this stage last year and I think the New course will suit this horse better.
“He’s run twice over hurdles now and he hasn’t made a mistake so he’ll probably have one more run and go straight to the Triumph Hurdle, that’s how high I hold this horse.”
He added: “We’ve got another horse at home who hasn’t run over hurdles yet who was slightly higher-rated than this fella on the Flat we really like called Lavender Hill Mob. He’ll be running in early December. He schools well too and likes soft ground whereas this fella likes better ground.
“This horse is just more straightforward than Burdett was, we know he’s going to stay, we can ride him how we want to and he’s taken to it really well whereas it took Burdett time to brush his jumping up. Burdett is a better horse than him and we’ll see tomorrow (Greatwood Hurdle) how much better.”
Mullins and Transmission the perfect match
Neil Mulholland saddled two runners at Cheltenham’s November meeting and left with two winners as Transmission followed up Double Powerful’s win on Friday under a terrific waiting ride from Patrick Mullins in the Steel Plate & Sections Ltd Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase.
Mulholland is enjoying a real purple patch at the moment – Double Powerful was winning his sixth race in succession – but Transmission had gone close at Cheltenham’s October fixture when second to Hyland.
The fact Nicky Henderson’s novice won on Friday’s card in better company boosted the form and saw Transmission sent off the 11-4 favourite, although coming down the hill he still had five in front of him.
Java Point hit the front at the second-last but when Mullins pulled his mount out, he quickened up to win by a length and a half.
“Patrick was absolutely brilliant on him, what an unbelievable ride. I’m really happy,” said Mulholland.
“He just crept away and he knows where the winning post is doesn’t he. He actually texted me for the ride. The entries were out Monday and he texted Monday afternoon.
“Paul (McKeon) the owner had Renegade with Willie (Mullins) who won the Cheltenham Bumper so they’ve got connections as well, but Paul is a great supporter of ours. When I told him Patrick had been on he said ‘say no more’.
“Maybe we can look at things like the National Hunt Chase long-term. That was the plan today. We wanted to give him a couple of runs here maybe with something like that in mind.
“He had course and distance form, he had a run under his belt and he had a top amateur so he had a lot going for him. We try to tick as many boxes as possible and it paid off.”
