Holmwood Legend springs shock in Plate

Holmwood Legend (25-1) was a game winner of the Byrne Group Plate at the Cheltenham Festival for trainer Pat Rodford on Thursday.

The 10-year-old jumped well in the main but had to recover from a mistake at the last under Keiran Burke before striding home by three-and-a-half lengths from Aimigayle (25-1).

Holmwood Legend had won at Sandown last Saturday.

Gordon Elliott's Beautiful Sound was the gamble of the race, backed from 8/1 this morning into 9/2 favourite. The Jason Maguire ridden horse was out the back in the first half of the race and jumping poorly.

Beautiful Sound was beginning to improve when slightly hampered by fallers four fences from home and still had plenty to do turning into the straight, but ran on strongly to finish third.