Sandown triumph for Bleu

One of the best finishes of the season in Britain was saved until the last day as Edredon Bleu got the better of Fadalko in a thrilling tussle for the ladbrokescasino.com Championship Chase at Sandown.

Front-running Edredon Bleu simply refused to buckle as Fadalko mounted what looked like a winning challenge in the replacement race for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Tony McCoy rode like a man inspired to ensure that his mount would take first prize in the stg£85,000 contest.

It was impossible to call the winner as the pair passed the post and there was a huge roar when it was announced that Edredon Bleu and McCoy had been properly rewarded for their efforts.

The remainder of the field were left trailing well behind with Desert Mountain 11 lengths back in third.

Edredon Bleu, owned by avid Aston Villa fan Jim Lewis, had prevailed in a similarly tight finish in last year`s Queen Mother Champion Chase.

A jubilant McCoy said: 'I was putting a gun to his head all the way on ground he didn`t like but he just keeps sticking his neck out.

'He never gives up - he`s got guts and class and he`s shown here that he really is the best two-miler.'

Nervous trainer Henrietta Knight as usual found it hard to watch the race unfolding.

'I was placed behind a special laurel bush and just popped out to have a look as they were coming to the finish,' she said.

'I thought he`d been beaten and Tony was furious as he thought he`d been pipped as well. I won`t repeat the swear words he used.

'Edredon Bleu puts everything into his races which is why we run him seldom. I thought he was well for this race but was just a little worried that he might be over the top.'

After winning the substitute Cheltenham Gold Cup with Marlborough on Friday Nicky Henderson repeated the feat in the Champion Hurdle replacement when Landing Light beat better-fancied stablemate Geos in the Coral Eurobet Championship Hurdle.

The winner was always handy in the steadily-runtwo-mile event and took up the running from early leader Teaatral after the third-last flight.

Jockey Richard Johnson, who got the ride after stable jockey Mick Fitzgerald elected to partner the runner-up, kept his mount up to his work and had enough in the tank to repel the challenge of Geos and Valiramix by three lengths and half a length.

'I feel desperately sorry for Mick as we have had to double up so much this season,' said trainer Henderson.

'Although having said that Richard has given the winner a brilliant ride.'

Landing Light`s owner John Poynton feels his gelding should now spend the summer in the field.

'We will put him away until next year,' he said. 'We will then look at a championship programme for him.'