Charlie Swan made another winning start to the afternoon as the Irish dominated the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham today. The jockey, who won Tuesday's opening race on Like-A-Butterfly, was on 16-1 chance Scolardy, who was the lesser fancied of Willie Mullins' two runners and had been up for sale all season without attracting a buyer.
The gelding strode clear from the third-last flight and never looked like being caught. He passed the post 11 lengths clear of fellow Irish runner Newhall, with Diamond Joshua followed home by other Irish raiders Balapour, Hyderabad and Turtleback.
"I thought when it rained here on Tuesday and Wednesday that would give him the edge but I am surprised he won so easily," Mullins said. "He has been for sale all year but nobody wanted him. He will probably go now for the four-year-old hurdle at Punchestown.
Fadoudal Du Cochet, confidently ridden by David Casey, recorded the second Irish win of the day and the fifth of the meeting, when holding on gamely to deny Tony McCoy and Exit Swinger by three-quarters of a length in the Grand Annual Challenge Cup.
With Martin Pipe's Lady Cricket being declared to run overnight before being a late withdrawal, the weights did not go up leaving Fadoudal Du Cochet on his true mark of 10st.
"Thank you very much Mr Pipe," said a delighted Arthur Moore, the winning trainer. "He had a lovely weight today. I would have been disappointed if he had been beaten. "It's lovely to have a winner here at Cheltenham - it's a great thrill especially after Native Upmanship ran so well yesterday (second in the Queen Mother Champion Chase).
Filed by Laura Reynolds
