Sub sunk as Osana storms in

David Pipe’s Osana lowered the colours of Champion Hurdle winner Sublimity with a surprising victory at Cheltenham.

Pipe also took the Boylesports.com Gold Cup through Tamarinbleu on a memorable afternoon for the trainer, although his injured jockey Tom Scudamore will not have been so pleased.

Osana was a 7-1 shot for the Boylesports.com International Hurdle against a lofty field but Paddy Brennan cleared away from the outset to make full use of the 8lb he was receiving from nearly all his opponents.

The lead remained until the end, with Osana finding an apparent second wind to beat the Alan King-trained Katchit by eight lengths.

King’s Penzance was third, Sublimity ran well enough before fading into fourth, but Macs Joy was fatally injured.

“The plan had been to go to the Ladbroke next week but he would have been giving weight away,” Pipe said.

“If he was ever going to beat those good horses it would have been today getting weight. He improved for his first run and this was his Champion Hurdle.

“I’ll have to speak to the owner as novice chasing was an option, but if he’s 7-1 for the Champion Hurdle it looks like we’ll have to continue down that route.”

Of Sublimity, trainer John Carr reflected: “I’m disappointed that he has not won, but he has run a very good race.

“Philip (Carberry) just said he blew up coming to the last.

“I was aware of not trying to overdo him at home because the key is to keep him fresh.

“The plan stays the same, he’ll go to the AIG next (Leopardstown, January 27).

King added:“I’m pleasantly surprised with Penzance and Katchit has run very well again. He’ll have one run now before the Champion which I think will be in the Kingwell at Wincanton.”

Tamarinbleu (22-1) also made all under the stylish Denis O’Regan to lead home a trio of obvious stable second-strings in the £150,000 added Gold Cup.

The Pipe number one Abragante was pulled up early on, while Paul Nicholls’ 7-2 favourite New Little Bric lasted longer but ended up the same way.

Indeed, nearly all Tamarinbleu’s rivals were reduced to also-rans by the flashy leaps of the trailblazing gelding.

Although Nicholls’ Le Volfoni (25-1) stayed on well, ultimately he was not really eroding the two-and-a-half-length margin.

The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Patman Du Charmil (20-1) completed a giant tricast.

Pipe said: “I really did think he had a good each-way chance. It was a big ask as he had a lot of weight, but the drier ground helped and he always runs well fresh.

“This fellow has been in great form at home and the blinkers have freshened him up on his last three runs.”

O’Regan added: “My first ride for David Pipe and it’s a winner – happy days.

“David told me to make as much use of him as I could, and I was always trying to save a bit. His jumping was just electric.”