GINGE SPLASHES TO VICTORY
   
Splash of Ginge rolled back the years to produce a fantastic performance when winning the BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham this afternoon.
 
The nine-year-old won the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury at 33/1 on heavy ground in 2014 and, under similar testing conditions this afternoon, the 25/1 shot prevailed by a neck from the fast-finishing runner-up Le Prezien.
 
Local trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, who was winning his fourth running of this race (Tipping Tim in 1992, Imperial Commander in 2008 and Little Josh in 2010), believed that the soft ground was the key to rejuvenating the son of Oscar, who had benefitted from a pipe-opener over hurdles at Wetherby last time out. Twiston-Davies is now the second winning-most trainer in this race behind Martin Pipe, who has won the race eight times.
 
"He has a big following does ol' Ginge!" said Twiston-Davies.
 
"He has been a remarkable horse and just lost his confidence a bit over fences last season, so we put him back over hurdles and he has come back this season like a bull.
 
"He ran really well at Wetherby and as soon as this rain kept on and on we were hopeful as the soft ground is the key to him. It is probably heavy ground now.
 
"He just doesn't notice it when it's this soft - it was the same when he won the Betfair Hurdle. It's just come right today. I was talking to John Neild (the owner), who has a lot of opinions as you know, about whether we were going to run him or not and I was thinking about taking him out before we declared.
 
"In the end, I thought we better run him though. I think I'll be out with the owners tonight though - they'll insist on it! The whole of Liverpool has turned up!
 
"It's an unbelievable - really special, especially when it's a horse like that. He'd lost his way a little bit but it's great to give Tom Bellamy (jockey) a chance as he's not having a great time at the moment. John likes to give the young jockeys a chance so that's great.
 
"I was thinking Foxtail (Hill, Twiston-Davies' shorter-priced runner at 9/1, who finished eighth) was going to do the job but he didn't handle the ground.
 
"The horse has just got his confidence back and the soft ground really is the key to him. This trip on good ground is too sharp for him but, under similar conditions, he'll be back in December (for the £120,000 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup).
 
"The idea was, because of John's connections with Liverpool, to ready him for the National (at Aintree) at one point and we may revisit that idea. We're always thinking and John has had a bet to win a million if he does win the National so he's obviously keen!"
 
BELLAMY SPLASHES OUT
 
Splash Of Ginge's 25/1 triumph in the £160,000 BetVictor Gold Cup provided jockey Tom Bellamy with the biggest success of his career so far.
 
The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained nine-year-old came to the front three fences from home but stayed there over the final fence and hung on up the hill to win by a neck from Starchitect.
 
Bellamy said: "Unbelievable - I'm still pinching myself! I can't believe it. First and foremost, the person sitting here today should be Ryan Hatch [who is enduring a long spell on the sidelines with injury]. He is my best friend and I live with him. I am obviously gutted for him, but at the same time I know he will be delighted for me.
 
"The owners and Nigel [Twiston-Davies] said to me, 'Give him loads of light all the way round; he doesn't want to be behind a horse.' He hung from the word go so I was in behind horses the whole way, and I was thinking, 'This is not what I need', but it worked out perfectly.
 
"The split came when they went to three out and I thought, 'Forget the bad ground' and used it to my advantage. He took off and was brilliant. I actually thought the way he was going was too good to be true, to be honest - they don't go this well on this ground - so I was thinking he was going to stop at any minute, but he just didn't.
 
"Splash Of Ginge is amazing - he has given a few lads very good days. Jamie Bargery had a good winner on him round here [in January 2015] and Ryan Hatch won the Betfair Hurdle [at Newbury in 2014] on him and I celebrated with them then so it's nice that they can hopefully do the same with me now.
 
"The owners are football fans and you can see that - they love a good chant and a sing-song. I'm sure the Hollow Bottom [a pub in Guiting Power near Nigel Twiston-Davies' yard] will be rocking tonight! I must say thanks to them for putting me on and to all the team at Nigel's. I haven't had many rides for Nigel and I've just started riding out there again. It's now two wins from three rides for Nigel. It's a big ride to get, let alone a big winner, so I'm very grateful."
 
Asked what it means to ride such a big winner, Bellamy replied: "It means an awful lot in the fact that I lost my claim last year and it's been very quiet since, so hopefully that might get the ball rolling a little bit now."
 
Wild celebrations as Splash Of Ginge wins the 2017 BetVictor Gold Cup
 
Liverpool-based owner John Neild, backed up by numerous friends and family, celebrated the victory of his Splash Of Ginge exuberantly in the paddock and then the winner's enclosure.
 
He said: "This victory is for Ryan Hatch. He has had an awful year and has done everything on this horse.
 
"Whatever happens in the future, it is all for Ryan (who won the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on Splash Of Ginge in February, 2014).
 
"I was screaming as the horse came up the hill. Bellsy (Tom Bellamy) is a great kid too and the one thing about Nige is that he always believes.
 
"Nigel tilts at windmills and even Sam (Twiston-Davies) said 'are we really pitching him in here?'
 
"We said that he is a stone lower than when he ran in this race a few years ago and we knew that if he jumped well, he was well handicapped.
 
"I actually can't believe it."
 
Winning jockey Tom Bellamy was carried shoulder high after the trophy presentation.
 
Ground changed to SOFT, HEAVY in places
 
The official going description was changed after the running of the BetVictor Gold Cup to Soft, Heavy in places, from Soft, Good to Soft in places, following continuing rain.
 
 
BetVictor Gold Cup facts
 
Nigel Twiston-Davies, with this win by Splash Of Ginge, gained his fourth victory in the BetVictor Gold Cup and became the second most successful trainer in the race's history behind the retired Martin Pipe, who collected eight victories.
 
Splash Of Ginge at 25/1 is one of the highest-priced winners of the BetVictor Gold Cup, with only 33/1 chances Chatham (1970) and Senor El Betrutti (1997) being returned at higher odds.
 
The horse became the 11th nine-year-old to win the BetVictor Gold Cup in 58 runnings.
 
 
STARCHITECT AND PREZIEN RUN BLINDERS IN DEFEAT
 
Trainer David Pipe called the BetVictor Gold Cup "a fiercely competitive handicap", and on rain-softening ground it took fit, in-form and talented horses to get involved in the finish.
 
Pipe's 10/1 shot Starchitect finished second, beaten a neck by 25/1 winner Splash Of Ginge, and two and a half lengths in front of 6/1 chance Le Prezien. Ballyalton, an 8/1 chance, was three and three-quarters of a length further behind in fourth.
 
Pipe, who trains Starchitect for Paul and Clare Rooney, said: "He's probably run the race of his life. He handled the conditions, and just got in a bit close to the last two, which may have cost the win.
 
"It's a fiercely competitive handicap and they've gone a good gallop in the conditions. He's run a cracker and he will hopefully come back here in December [for the £120,000 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup]."
 
Le Prezien, who is owned by J P McManus, was trained by Paul Nicholls. The trainer said: "He ran a fine race, and the trip and ground were perfect for him. He has loads of stamina and stays for ever - he's won over shorter trips when we've asked him, but you saw today that he stayed all the way to the line. I'm very pleased with him."
 
STAR ARCHITECT OF OWN DOWNFALL
 
Paul and Clare Rooney's Racing Manager Jason Maguire couldn't hide his disappointment after the David Pipe-trained Starchitect (10/1) finished a neck second to Nigel Twiston-Davies' 25/1 winner Splash Of Ginge in today's feature race, the G3 BetVictor Gold Cup.
 
Always prominent under Tom Scudamore, the six-year-old son of Sea The Stars rallied gamely up the hill but just failed to reel in Splash Of Ginge and Tom Bellamy in the extended two and a half-mile contest.
 
Paul Nicholls' Le Prezien (6/1) was a further two and a half-lengths behind in second, with Ian Williams' Ballyalton (8/1) three and three-quarter lengths behind in fourth.
 
Maguire said: "The second-last mistake probably cost him a bit of momentum, but jumping is the name of the game.
 
"He has run really well, he had a good confidence win at Stratford and he has improved again today.
 
"He coped with the ground as they all had to and it's unfortunate to get beaten, but he is still in good health.
 
"This is probably his trip and we'll speak to David and see where he wants to go."
 
Barry Geraghty, who rode Le Prezien, said: "He ran a good race. It was hard work and I thought jumping the last, I might get to the winner and the runner-up but they just kept finding.
 
"I was trying to find the better ground and we were trying our best but he was just going in snatches. I thought I had a chance turning in but the others stayed on well up the hill.
 
"He's run well in two good handicaps here and hopefully he'll keep improving as the season goes on."
 
Tom O'Brien aboard Ballyalton added: "He ran really well. He wasn't in love with the ground but he just kept finding. It was a good run."
 
2.25pm BetVictor Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Grade 3) 2m 4½f
 
1 SPLASH OF GINGE NIGEL TWISTON-DAVIES 10ST 6LB TOM BELLAMY 25/1
2 Starchitect (IRE) (Blinkers, Tongue Strap) David Pipe 11st 2lb Tom Scudamore 10/1
3 Le Prezien (FR) (Tongue Strap) Paul Nicholls 11st 8lb Barry Geraghty 6/1
4 Ballyalton (IRE) (Sheepskin C/P) Ian Williams 11st 1lb Tom O'Brien 8/1
5 Romain de Senam (FR) (Hood, Tongue Strap) Paul Nicholls 11st 3lb Harry Cobden 10/1
6 Tully East (IRE) Alan Fleming, Ireland 11st 6lb Denis O'Regan 8/1
7 Double Treasure (Tongue Strap) Jamie Snowden 11st 8lb Gavin Sheehan 25/1
8 Foxtail Hill (IRE) Nigel Twiston-Davies 11st 5lb Jamie Bargary (3) 9/1
9 Guitar Pete (IRE) Nicky Richards 10st 6lb Ryan Day (3) 11/1         
10 Bentelimar (IRE) Charlie Longsdon 10st 11lb J. J. Burke 25/1
11 Viconte du Noyer (FR) (Tongue Strap) Colin Tizzard 11st 8lb B. J. Cooper 20/1
FELL 1st Theinval (FR) (Sheepskin C/P) Nicky Henderson 11st 4lb Jeremiah McGrath 20/1
PU Plaisir d'Amour (FR) Venetia Williams 10st 10lb Aidan Coleman 20/1
PU Aqua Dude (IRE) Evan Williams 10st 11lb Adam Wedge 16/1
PU Days of Heaven (FR) (Hood) Nicky Henderson 11st 7lb Nico de Boinville 33/1
PU Kylemore Lough (Tongue Strap) Harry Fry 11st 12lb Noel Fehily 4/1 Fav
PU Lake Takapuna (IRE) J. Culloty, Ireland 10st 1lb Paddy Brennan 20/1
Non-Runner: Mystifiable (Vet's Certificate, Lame)
 
Distances: nk, 2½, 3¾, 6, nk, 10, 2¼, nk, 2, 33            
 
Tote Win: £26.70 Places: £4.30, £2.50, £2.10, £2.80 Exacta: £385.50

To view a replay of the race, please click here -
http://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/video/20171118/2729952/16368157