Queen Mother Champion Chase
Sprinter Sacre, a dominant winner of
the race in 2013, but pulled-up in 2015 after missing the whole of
2014, returned to something like his best with a convincing 3½-length
win over odds-on favourite Un De Sceaux. Special Tiara finished
third, just a further head away, but previous winners Dodging Bullets
and Sire De Grugy were never really involved in the race and finished
seventh and eighth respectably.
Stayers’ Hurdle
Thistlecrack, trained by Colin Tizzard
and ridden by Tom Scudamore, was all the rage on his first appearance
in the World Hurdle, newly sponsored by Ryanair, starting even money
favourite. The market confidence wasn’t misplaced, with the
8-year-old taking the lead, while still on the bit, at the second
last and drawing away in the closing stages to win, impressively, by
7 lengths. Alpha Des Obeaux finished second and Bobs Worth third, a
further 22 lengths away, but neither held even the remotest chance of
beating the effortless winner.
Cheltenham Gold Cup
Cue Card, chasing a £1 million bonus
after winning the Betfair Chase at Haydock and the King George VI
Chase at Kempton, had just taken the lead when crashing out at the
third last fence. Favourite Don Cossack and Djakadam, runner-up in
2015, were left to fight out the finish and it was the former,
trained by Gordon Elliot and ridden by Bryan Copper, who took command
at the final fence and was pushed out to win by 4½ lengths.
