Pipe Strikes Gold

Celestial Gold gave Martin Pipe a late-season boost and ended a drought of big-race winners for the champion trainer under a beautifully-timed ride from Timmy Murphy in the Betfair Bowl at Aintree.

Pipe has had to sit and suffer a quiet year by his high standards and Celestial Gold added to a poor few months when unseating Timmy Murphy on the first circuit of the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup last month.

But never to be underestimated, Pipe struck back as Celestial Gold (8-1) capitalised on a mistake by Take The Stand at the final fence to power away and score by seven lengths.

Celestial Gold was having only his second start since finishing seventh in the 2005 Gold Cup and his freshness showed in the early stages as the eight-year-old pulled hard under Murphy before creeping into it along the back straight on the final circuit.

By that time the race had already been deprived of Irish raider Beef Or Salmon, whose suspect jumping again got the better of him when unseating Paul Carberry at the fifth, and My Will, who fell at the first.

Gold Cup fourth L'Ami was sent off the 5-2 favourite and looked a likely winner turning for home, but the ever-patient Murphy was content to sit and wait and produced his mount between the French raider and Take The Stand over the final couple of fences.

L'Ami dropped away and the Tony Dobbin-ridden Take The Stand held every chance approaching the last but a terrible blunder ? which Dobbin did well to survive ? put paid to his chances and left Celestial Gold in splendid isolation.

'I missed the second-last but I was always happy,' explained Murphy. 'I was just a bit worried as he was a bit keen early on ? I just couldn't get him switched off.

'But Dobbs missed the last and that kind of sealed it.

'He was a million dollars in the Gold Cup and who knows what would have happened if I'd have stayed on him.'

Pipe was not present but his son and assistant David said: 'He's been crying out for a run and was very keen early as he hasn't had a proper outing for such a long time.

'They could have gone a bit quicker and that would've helped him.

'He scoped badly before the Hennessy and we then aimed him for Cheltenham but things didn't go quite right.

'We thought he would run in the Gold Cup like he did today and I would not be surprised if that was it for the season now.'

Celestial Gold was cut to 14-1 by William Hill and totesport and 16-1 by Coral for the 2007 Gold Cup, which Pipe junior confirmed would be the target.

'We thought he was a Gold Cup horse for this year and we'll definitely aim him for the race again next year,' he said.

Reflecting on his father's unusually quiet season, he added: 'The trainers' title went a long time ago and we are now just trying to get winners.

'It hasn't been as depressing are people are making out. You do get low but as long as the horses are in one piece and live to fight another day, that is the main thing.'

Take The Stand's trainer Peter Bowen said: 'That's him unfortunately but he has such an engine and just seems to make a mistake.

'Tony reckons he would have won but for that, though I suppose we are lucky he sat on him. Tony said he had never touched a twig before that, in fact he said he was quite brilliant.

'He will not go to Sandown but he may go to Punchestown for the Guinness Gold Cup. We will have to look at that but if the ground turned he will not be going.'

Francois Doumen, who trains third-placed L'Ami, said: 'There were no excuses. The winner is a fast horse and a fresher horse than we were but he has still run very well

'The track and the ground didn't suit my horse and we don't have any plans for him.'

Philip Hobbs revealed Monkerhostin will not run in the John Smith?s Melling Chase Grade tomorrow after he finished fourth.

'I think he's just run flat,' said the Somerset handler.

'It's the end of a long season for him and he won't run tomorrow ? although I'm not saying that is definitely it for the season.'

Irish raider Beef Or Salmon was attempting to bounce back from his 11th in the Gold Cup and his trainer Michael Hourigan took his horse's mistake on the chin.

'I'm disappointed, but that's horse racing,' said Hourigan. 'He shows his best form back home so it's not all too bad. There are plenty of races for him to win back there.

'He's fine, he only did a circuit of the track before we caught him.

'I'll have a chat with the owners to see if he comes over again ? they might get disheartened but I won't.'

(C) PA Sport