Victory burns brightest after Goshen departs at final flight

Horseracing is often described as a game that tames lions and the £130,630 G1 JCB Triumph Hurdle was a key example of that when the Willie Mullins-trained Burning Victory (12/1) benefitted from the final flight departure of the 5/2 favourite Goshen.

Ridden by Paul Townend, Burning Victory looked booked for second in the two-mile juvenile hurdle, but Goshen's unseat of Jamie Moore at the final hurdle opened the door for Townend to galvanise the four-year-old to a two and three-quarter length success from 5/1 shot Aspire Tower in second.

Townend was recording his third victory of the week following on from the victories of Ferny Hollow (G1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper) and Min (G1 Ryanair Chase) and his 13th success at The Festival™ presented by Magners in total.

Townend said: "It's not the nicest way to win a race but I have been on the other end of that, so I know what it feels like. We will take every bit of luck we get.

"I jumped the first two well and Burning Victory improved so much from her first run. I fell out through a couple down the back and I couldn't rush her then, I had to let her find her feet again.

"When I got her out down the hill, she started to pick up for me and I was lucky enough to have the horse to be in a position to pick up the pieces."

Jumping a problem for Aspire Tower, but good effort still

Rachael Blackmore and Henry De Bromhead believe 5/1 chance Aspire Tower's jumping let him down when he finished a two-and-three quarter length second to Burning Victory (12/1) in the £130,630 G1 JCB Triumph Hurdle, but both felt he had run well, even allowing for the fact that he would have been only third but for Goshen's last-flight mishap.

Blackmore said: "He was a bit free early on but it was his jumping that let him down. He still ran well though."

De Bromhead said: "He settled eventually and then his jumping let him down  and he was just landing flat at most of his hurdles.

"He just lacked a bit of confidence, which was disappointing, but he ran well and his heart's there. He had every chance to fold but he really stayed on up the hill."

Sanguine owner takes Goshen's unseat on the chin

Racehorse owner Steve Packham saw his dreams of a first runner and winner at The Festival become a nightmare at Cheltenham today.

His horse Goshen, trained by Gary Moore, raced to the final flight in the G1 JCB Triumph Hurdle with the race at his mercy, only to make a mistake which was just enough to unseat jockey Jamie Moore, the son of the trainer. The Cheltenham crowd released a collective groan as the 5/2 favourite cantered loose up the run-in, and seconds later the Willie Mullins-trained Burning Victory (12/1) beat Aspire Tower (5/1) and Allmankind (7/2) by two and three-quarters of a length and three-quarters of a length.

For Sussex-based Packham it was another lesson in the thrills and spills of ownership. He said: "It is one of those things, it's Jump racing unfortunately. He's not the first horse to fall or unseat at the final jump at Cheltenham, and he won't be the last. Hopefully both horse and rider are fine. Jamie is obviously distraught.

"It's such a shame but there you go. Jamie didn't realise he was as far clear as he was. He should have popped him perhaps like he did when everyone said he ran down the jump at Ascot.

"The noise in the stand when he unseated was incredible. I've learned a lot over the years, and I know horses can be fragile and mistakes happen. It's a massive thing for me just to have a runner at Cheltenham, because I've been coming here for 30 years - I've lived and dreamt every scenario over the past month, from falling at the first to falling at the last and winning, so it hasn't completely surprised me.

"Quite a few years ago I had a horse in partnership with my brother and trained by Richard Rowe called Glad To Know You. He was due to run on the final day, but the ground became too firm and he was pulled out on the day.

"We live to fight another day."

Harry Skelton on Allmankind

After finishing third in the G1 JCB Triumph Hurdle on Allmankind, Harry Skelton said: "I winged the first and expected him to take hold of the bridle, but for some reason he was quiet, very, very quiet.

"Yesterday Aidan Coleman and Emma Lavelle [the jockey/trainer combination involved with the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle beaten favourite Paisley Park] said horses are not machines and for some reason he just wasn't there today. He kept on bravely to finish third, but we'll have to see how he comes out of it."

Going after the first

Paul Townend, on board the 12/1 victor, Burning Victory, said: "Soft."

Rachael Blackmore, on board the 5/1 second-placed Aspire Tower, said: "Yielding and tacky."

Harry Skelton, partner of third home Allmankind (7/2), said: "Good, good to soft."

Barry Geraghty, partner of A Wave Of The Sea, said: "Good to soft and dead."

Mark Walsh, jockey of Cerberus, said: "Dead."

Tom Cannon, jockey of Lord Lamington, said: "Dead, but better than yesterday."

Donal McInerney, rider of Never Do Nothing, said: "Good to soft and a little dead."

Bryony Frost, jockey of Sir Psycho, said: "Tacky, but better than yesterday."

Harry Cobden, partner of Solo, said: "Beautiful ground."

Alain Cawley, rider of Yellow Tiger, said: "Dead - very dead."

Danny Mullins, rider of Hook Up, said: "It has dried out from yesterday."