BetVictor Gold Cup: Splash of Ginge is surprise winner at Cheltenham
- Published
Splash of Ginge leads on the way to victory at Cheltenham
Outsider Splash of Ginge earned a surprise win to claim the BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
The 25-1 shot, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, took the lead late on and held off Starchitect (10-1) and Le Prezien (6-1) in an exciting finish.
Favourite Kylemore Lough (4-1) moved into the lead around the halfway stage but fell back after faltering at the ninth fence.
"I'm pinching myself. I can't believe it," said winning jockey Tom Bellamy.
Twiston-Davies said: "He just lost his confidence over fences last season. We put him over hurdles and he has come back."
Analysis
BBC racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght
Jump racing worries that a small number of monied types who can afford to pay top dollar to have large numbers of horses are squeezing out the 'smaller' owners who've been the sport's traditional backbone.
Big-race wins like this by mud-loving Splash Of Ginge, enthusiastically followed by his owner, Merseyside businessman John Neild, and the 'Ginge Army', help to renew faith.
Though Neild is hardly down to his last cent, he didn't pay a fortune for the horse, leading to a feeling that there's hope still for the little man or woman.