SPORT NEWS

Twiston-Davies records amazing three-timer

by Oli Skehan , 19 March 2010

Forty minutes after their Gold Cup dreams came to pass the Twiston-Davies' family were celebrating again as Baby Run completed a famous double by landing the Christie's Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham.


Baby Run, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies and stylishly ridden by his eldest son, Sam, justified 9-2 joint-favouritism in the amateur riders' version of the Gold Cup.

The French-bred ten-year-old set a searching pace from the start and, in truth, very few of his 23 rivals got into the race.

Kilty Storm and Reach For The Top were his nearest pursuers for much of the stamina-sapping three-and-a-quarter-mile test and that is the way it stayed.

Despite tiring on the run-in Baby Run still had five lengths to spare over Kilty Storm with Reach For The Top seven lengths away third.

"It's been a brilliant day and I couldn't have asked any more of this horse," Twiston-Davies junior remarked.

"He's been special to me and looked after me.

"He was tired coming to the last but was also pricking his ears, the cheeky thing.

"When something comes to him he goes again, I'm just thrilled to bits to be here riding him.

"It'll be interesting to compare it to the Gold Cup time!"

Amazingly, to cap off the day of all days, Paddy Brennan, just over an hour after he steered Imperial Commander to Gold Cup glory, teamed up with Pigeon Island (16-1) to win the last race of the Cheltenham Festival, the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual.

The seven-year-old, who was racing off bottom weight, had one-and-a-quarter lengths to spare over the well-backed top weight, French Opera, trained by Nicky Henderson, son of the race's namesake.  

Consigliere and Cornas filled the remaining places - both at odds of 16-1.


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