Nicholls back on top after treble

Paul Nicholls regained the lead in the trainers’ championship with a 599-1 treble on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival.

He had started the day off just over £50,000 (€73,000) adrift of Martin Pipe, but wins from that hardy perennial Earthmover in the Christie’s Foxhunter Chase, St Pirran in the following Grand Annual Challenge Cup and Sporazene in the concluding Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle put the Ditcheat handler back on top.

St Pirran benefited from a peach of a ride from Ruby Walsh to get the better of Ground Ball and Reiziger by two and a half lengths and seven.

Nicholls said: “He was given a super ride and this has been the plan for some time. He schooled very well at Wincanton last Friday with Cenkos.”

Earthmover (14-1) turned the clock back when repeating his victory of six years ago in the Foxhunter.

The 13-year-old shrugged off his advancing years to take the lead five fences from home and then prove four lengths too strong for the Irish-trained Never Compromise under Rilly Goschen.

Afterwards Nicholls said: “All credit to the horse as he’s been so hard to get fit. He’s old, stiff and he was lame two or three weeks after Christmas.

“I needed to run him at Fontwell the other day (when second) and today is his day. Rilly gave him a brilliant ride.

“We’ll have to think about retirement for him – I just talked to Roger (Penny, owner) about it and we’ll see.”

Sporazene just held on by half a length from Hawadeth to land the County Hurdle after looking set to score easily when Walsh kicked clear after taking control at the final flight.

Sporazene will be sent chasing next season, when he will have the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy as his long-term target.

“He probably idled in front and he may have got there a bit soon,” said the Ditcheat handler, who was saddling his first Festival hurdles winner.

“He might have another run over hurdles but he will go over fences next season.

“I’ve already schooled him over fences and he’s brilliant, so God willing he’ll be back here for the Arkle. That will be his long-term plan.”

The Pipe-Nicholls battle lines will be redrawn at Aintree in two weeks’ time.

“It’s on to Liverpool now,” said Nicholls. “We’ve got to stay on top now. Today helped the cause and we’ve just got to keep it going.

“I probably won’t have a runner in the National but I hope to have plenty of runners in other races.”

Iris’s Gift, who has spent most of the season on the easy list, bounced back to take his revenge on Baracouda to land a vintage renewal of the bonusprint.com Stayers’ Hurdle.

Baracouda was bidding for an unprecented third straight win in the three-mile championship, having taken the race 12 months ago by three-quarters of a length from Iris’s Gift.

But the French star had to give best this time as Iris’s Gift (9-2) found another gear up the run-in for a famous victory by a length and a half.

A repeat of last season’s memorable finish looked on the cards as Barry Geraghty sent Iris’s Gift past the front-running Solerina, with 8-11 favourite Baracouda moving sweetly into second place under Thierry Doumen.

The big two began to draw clear of their toiling rivals and after both produced good jumps at the final flight, they went eyeball to eyeball up the hill.

But under a determined drive, Iris’s Gift strode clear close home to claim the £81,200 (€120,000) first prize, with the third, Crystal D’Ainay, fully 13 lengths away.

“It was the same as last year, except the other way round. It was a fantastic race,” said winning trainer Jonjo O’Neill. “They are two fantastic horses and that’s what the game is all about.”

Iris’s Gift was having only his second start of the season and did not reappear until 33 days ago.

O’Neill said: “He had a few niggling problems earlier in the season and we missed the first half. He just wasn’t fit to gallop.

“After Christmas I was a bit worried. We were definitely struggling, but then he took a turn for the better and away he went.

“He may go to Punchestown now. Barry says he will jump a fence, but he’s not too bad over the hurdles, so we’ll just wait and see.”

And when asked when he thought he had Iris’s Gift back to his best, the Jackdaws Castle handler said: “About 100 yards from home.”

On his return to the unsaddling enclosure Baracouda was treated to a winner’s reception by his many fans.

Francois Doumen’s amazing performer was taking his career tally to 16 wins and five seconds from 21 starts and the Chantilly trainer was gracious in defeat.

He said: “We were beaten by a better horse today. We were the best last year, Iris’s Gift was the best this year.”

Philip Hobbs and Richard Johnson, who teamed up to take the Coral Cup with Monkerhostin on the second day of the Festival, were on the mark again with Made In Japan in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

Hobbs said: “He’s as tough as old boots so we might go to Aintree and Punchestown with him, although there is just a doubt in the back of my mind about how well the track at Aintree would suit him.

“He travels well, he jumps well and he is an improving horse.”

Our Armageddon, well beaten when pulled up in the Arkle on Tuesday, made amends in great style by galloping his rivals into submission in the Cathcart Challenge Cup.

Winning trainer Richard Guest said: “It is definitely better training a Festival winner than riding one, there is a lot of hard work which goes into training horses and keeping them right.

“He must be a tough horse to come here and run twice in three days.”