Vic Powers Home For Pipe

Martin Pipe once again proved himself the king of the punters as he sent Our Vic out to take the £110,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

The 15-times champion trainer, who sets records for fun, was winning the race for the fifth time in six years and the eighth in total.

And on a day when Pipe saddled another two well-backed favourites to hammer the bookmakers - both owned like Our Vic by David Johnson and ridden by Timmy Murphy - the seven-year-old was roared back into the winner´s enclosure.

A horse of considerable promise two seasons ago, Our Vic´s 2004/5 campaign started badly when taking a crashing fall at the final fence at Cheltenham last December.

Nursed back to the racecourse after returning to Pipe´s yard with a number of minor injuries, his two subsequent outings failed to show much promise either as the gelding was pulled up on both occasions.

But Pipe went on record earlier in the week to offer his belief that Our Vic had been brought back to his best by a lazy summer and a change in training regime.

And it was as the 9-2 favourite that Our Vic landed the spoils with a simple yet effective display of frontrunning, cemented by a first-class round of jumping.

Pipe, whose father was an on-course layer in the West Country, said: 'I think a few people here have had a few quid on and that´s brilliant.

'It was a great performance. He jumped really well and Timmy gave him a great ride, full marks to him.

'Well done to Jonathan Lower for doing all the schooling and it was great to see him going out there and enjoying himself.

'Our vets have done a great job bringing him back and Mary Bromiley deserves credit too. It´s a real team performance.

'It´s a long time since I tipped a winner with the form figures ´FPP´ and I think a lot of people must have been wondering if I was losing my marbles.'

Pipe was asked whether he felt a sense of personal pride at having brought back a horse of such talent from a fall that nearly ended his career.

But as usual he deflected the attention on to others.

'I´m just delighted for the horse,' he said. 'He´s got his confidence back and that means everything.

'All the pressure was on us today but the horse didn´t know that and Timmy was brilliant.'

The winner held front rank throughout before taking a clear lead at the third-last.

He kept all challengers at bay and stormed up the hill to beat the staying-on Monkerhostin, whose chance had appeared over when making a bad blunder at the fifth fence, by two and a half lengths.

Kandjar D´Allier was another length and a half back in third, with Fondmort fourth.

Lord Sam took the field along in the early stages with Banker Count, Our Vic and Lacdoudal close up. Irish raider Forget The Past joined the leaders at the fifth-last fence, but Murphy always had Our Vic in a good position.

He decided to let the big-race gamble go on with three to jump, although Redemption looked a major threat before coming down at the penultimate obstacle.

Kandjar D´Allier put in a brave bid but Alan King´s charge could not get close enough and was passed by Monkerhostin on the run-in.

Murphy said that Pipe´s instructions were 'to jump the first and the last'.

But with the sun in his eyes as they came to the final fence, he admitted that he nearly hadn´t managed to carry out the second half of the orders.

'I didn´t think about what happened last year,' he said. 'We started from scratch with him today and he was brilliant, even though we couldn´t see the final fence at all.

'Fortunately he jumped it well and all the credit must go to the team at Martin´s for the work that they have put into this horse.'

Never one to predict future plans, Pipe had refused to nominate a target for Celestial Gold after that horse had won this race 12 months ago.

But he went on to take the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury a fortnight later and Our Vic may well bid to do the same.

Although his stamina for the three-and-a-quarter-mile trip would have to be proved, William Hill quote him as short as 5-1 with Paddy Power and Bet365 best-priced at 8-1.

'Honestly, we haven´t thought any further ahead than today and we´ll just see how he comes out of this first,' said Pipe.

Cashmans offer 7-2 about Our Vic winning the two-and-a-half-mile Ryanair Chase at the Festival.

end

Connections of the runner-up were left lamenting the low-setting sun and jockey Richard Johnson was clearly upset as he returned from the unsaddling area to the weighing room.

'The sun made the difference,' he said. 'It was ridiculous and the safety of horses and jockeys were being put at risk at the three fences in the straight.

'Take nothing off the race but common sense should prevail.'

Monkerhostin´s trainer Philip Hobbs agreed, adding: 'He´s run a good race and you can´t be disappointed but Richard said he couldn´t see anything because of the sun and I think that´s why the race was held back (15 minutes late off).'

The race had been scheduled for the same time as a steeplechase on last year´s card in which the home straight fences all had to be bypassed.

But clerk of the course Simon Claisse reported the stewards had given the order for the race to go ahead without any obstacles being missed out.

'At this time of year there can be a problem with low sunset between 2.45pm and 3.30pm,' he said.

'With the Paddy Power being scheduled for 3.20pm and there being clear conditions, the starter reported that some jockeys were concerned about the low sun.

'Two stewards stood by fences four and five, the first two in the home straight and were satisfied that they were safe to jump, while a stipendiary steward and myself were by the last and we were also satisfied that conditions were safe.

'While this may have caused a delay to the start of the race, safety is our number one priority at Cheltenham.

'In the future we have to review whether we will continue to hold feature chases at times when a low sunset is possible.'

Alan King, trainer of third-home Kandjar d´Allier, was delighted by the performance of his charge on his seasonal debut.

'That was a great thrill and we´ll have to see where we go now,' said King.

'I wouldn´t rule out a step up in trip for the Hennessy or he could go to the Rehearsal Chase or come back here in December. The rain helped as he loves cut and there will be more improvement to come.'

? PA Sport