Watch: Might Bite fails to navigate fast-moving Native River on Gold Cup day

Our look back on the thrilling final day of the 2018 Cheltenham Festival...

Native River

By / Horse Racing Tips / 7 years ago

Friday at Cheltenham, as ever, is all about the Gold Cup.

The final day is a chance for punters to exult for one last time in the spectacle of the Festival, and it didn’t disappoint.

On the track, the English trainers hit back after Hibernian domination of the first three days.

Here’s how it all went…

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This one had been billed as being all about Apple’s Shakira. But it didn’t prove to be anything like the expected procession for Nicky Henderson’s mare, with Gordon Elliott’s Farclas romping home.

13:30 Triumph Hurdle

1st Farclas 9/1
2nd Mr Adjuticator 8/1
3rd Sayo 33/1

The bookies were celebrating (part one) after Mohaayed (33/1) under Bridget Andrews took the County Hurdle ahead of 50/1 shot Remiluc, while the highly fancied Flying Tiger and Bleu Et Rouge were left trailing back in the mid-teens.

14:10 County Hurdle

1st Mohaayed 33/1
2nd Remiluc 50/1
3rd Whiskey Sour 7/1
4th Chesterfield 16/1
5th Spiritofthegames 12/1
=5 Lagostovegas 20/1

Santini went off a much-fancied favourite in the Albert Bartlett, but with the race opened wide by Willie Mullins’ Fabulous Saga, who led from the front almost from the off, unfancied Kilbricken Storm raced home under Harry Cobden to give Colin Tizzard an outside winner.

14:50 Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle

1st Kilbricken Storm 33/1

2nd Ok Corral 16/1

3rd Santini 11/4F

4th Ballyward 20/1

Billed as a shootout between Might Bite and Native River, the Gold Cup turned out to be exactly that. The deadly duo pulled clear of the rest from quite a distance out, and never looked like being caught. When push came to shove, it was Native River and Richard Johnson who stayed to take the Gold Cup for Colin Tizzard’s stable.

15:30 Gold Cup

1st Native River 5/1
2nd Might Bite 4/1F
3rd Anibale Fly 33/1

What a ride this was from Harriet Tucker, who guided last year’s winner Pacha Du Polder to victory once again in the Foxhunters Chase. It was only Tucker’s second ride under rules, but hers is a name we will being a lot of in future, if this performance is anything to go by.

16:10 Foxhunters Chase

1st Pacha Du Polder 25/1
2nd Top Wood 50/1
3rd Barel Of Laughs 14/1
=3 Cousin Pete 66/1

Gordon Elliott and his stable wrapped up their eighth win of the Festival, as Blow By Blow thundered away from the rest of the field in the Martin Pipe under Donagh Meyler. In truth, it was a consummate performance from the horse, who won it comfortably in the end.

16:50 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle

1st Blow by Blow
2nd Discorama
3rd Early Doors

It’s always a bittersweet moment when the Festival draws to a close, even if you’ve ended it with a winner. Still, there won’t be any such melancholy for Barry Geraghty, who rode to victory on Le Prezien in the final race of Cheltenham 2018.

17:30 Grand Annual

1st Le Prezien

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