Barry Geraghty celebrates winning with Champ and for owner JP McManus. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Barry Geraghty produced one of the special Cheltenham Festival rides as Champ came from the clouds to deny Minella Indo and Allaho in the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase.
In what looked like a re-run of last year’s Albert Bartlett, Allaho and Minella Indo were prominent throughout, if both just doing a little more more than their riders perhaps wanted at respective stages of the race.
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Coming down the hill towards the third-last there were nine runners still in with a chance, with the two Colin Tizzard inmates, Copperhead and Slate House, the first to give way. Davy Russell had charted a wide path on Battleoverdoyen, but cut out quickly before the second-last, as the front two went clear.
Minella Indo had just got the upper hand when making a mistake at the last, giving Allaho another chance – but all the while Geraghty was asking Nicky Henderson’s Champ – who is named after Sir Anthony McCoy – for more.
Almost 10 lengths down at the last, the 4-1 chance began to eat up the ground and what had looked impossible started to seem inevitable half a furlong from home, as he powered between the two Irish raiders, winning by a length from Minella Indo.
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Champ storms to stunning last-gasp RSA success at Cheltenham for Geraghty and JP
Barry Geraghty produced one of the special Cheltenham Festival rides as Champ came from the clouds to deny Minella Indo and Allaho in the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase.
In what looked like a re-run of last year’s Albert Bartlett, Allaho and Minella Indo were prominent throughout, if both just doing a little more more than their riders perhaps wanted at respective stages of the race.
Coming down the hill towards the third-last there were nine runners still in with a chance, with the two Colin Tizzard inmates, Copperhead and Slate House, the first to give way. Davy Russell had charted a wide path on Battleoverdoyen, but cut out quickly before the second-last, as the front two went clear.
Minella Indo had just got the upper hand when making a mistake at the last, giving Allaho another chance – but all the while Geraghty was asking Nicky Henderson’s Champ – who is named after Sir Anthony McCoy – for more.
Almost 10 lengths down at the last, the 4-1 chance began to eat up the ground and what had looked impossible started to seem inevitable half a furlong from home, as he powered between the two Irish raiders, winning by a length from Minella Indo.
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Barry Geraghty Champ Cheltenham Cheltenham 2020 Cheltenham Champ Coral Cup JP McManus Racing