Flagship Uberalles was crowned champion two-miler when battling bravely to land the Queen Mother Champion Chase, highlight of day two at the Cheltenham Festival.
The eight-year-old gave favourite backers some anxious moments when he hit the third last fence but Richard Johnson took him wide and eventually pushed Flagship Uberalles, the 7-4 favourite, out to a three-length victory from the 9-1 shot Native Upmanship with the 66-1 outsider Cenkos just half a length back in third.
An overjoyed Johnson revealed that the sticky ground was almost his undoing. "He just didn't handle the going all the way," Johnson said. "But it just shows how tough he is. He is so brave and really fought back from the second last. It would have taken a very good horse to beat him today."
Tony McCoy's bad luck at this year's festival continued when Edredon Bleu, the current holder of the two-mile championship crown, faded disappointingly in the back straight and finished fourth.
Flagship Uberalles, winner three years ago of the Arkle Chase, always runs best when fresh and trainer Philip Hobbs had given the gelding just one run this year when he beat Edredon Bleu to win Sandown's Tingle Creek Trophy.
Filed by Laura Reynolds
