Ustedes Valiant In Defeat

Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Voy Por Ustedes warmed up for loftier targets later in the season when narrowly failing to give lumps of weight away in the paddypower.com Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

Alan King was using the two-mile event as a stepping stone to Sandown next month but attempting to give almost two stone to all but one of his four rivals proved too much ? but only just.

The 8-11 favourite took the lead over the water jump on the far side of the course and proceeded to put in some magnificent leaps under Robert Thornton.

Despite his welter burden, he was seemingly well in control turning for home only for Kalca Mome (9-4) to start to rapidly eat into his lead.

Philip Hobbs' representative finished with a full head of steam to collar Voy Por Ustedes in the shadow of the post for a neck victory.

King said: 'I said all along that it wouldn't be the end of the world if he got beat. Well he has got beat and he has come out of it with a hell of a lot of credit.'

The Paddy Power Tingle Creek on December 8 is next on the agenda, with bookmakers generally leaving him unchanged at the head of the market for a repeat success in the Queen Mother.

Coral and Ladbrokes quote him at 4-1 while Stan James trimmed him into 100-30 from 7-2.

King continued: 'Just as he went to the last I thought ?he is going to get mugged here', but with the weight he was carrying on this ground on his first run back it is a great run.

'I would have loved to win but I am very happy with the horse ? he is in great form.

'Hopefully it will have taken the freshness out of him and ideally he doesn't want to be in front that long, but ?Choc' (Thornton) had no option and I am delighted we have come and run.

'He was almost too gassy at one or two today and that is why it is important to get a run into him. His jumping was very good.

'The two races we want to win this year are the Tingle Creek and the Queen Mother and I would hope this has put him spot-on for Sandown.'

Hobbs said of the Richard Johnson-ridden winner: 'It was a lot of weight to be giving away, so I don't think there would be the same result on level terms!

'He's such a star. We've had him for years and the softer ground and this track were ideal today. There are no fancy plans.'

(C) PA Sport