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Last gasp! Rex Dingle notches first festival win aboard Indefatigable

Indefatigable (navy) won the Martin Pipe with a final-stride surge
Indefatigable (navy) won the Martin Pipe with a final-stride surgeCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Indefatigable rallied late under Rex Dingle to mug Pileon on the line in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, handing the jockey and trainer Paul Webber a magical first festival win.

The Cheltenham Festival's final race changed complexion in the closing stages, with Column Of Fire falling at the final hurdle when seemingly going better than Pileon, who was left several lengths in front.

Ben Jones tried to urge Pileon, whose trainer Philip Hobbs will leave Prestbury Park a frustrated man after Thyme Hill's torrid passage in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, but 25-1 shot Indefatigable flew home under Dingle to get the verdict by a short head.

Dingle said: "The plan wasn't to ride her like that. I was a bit further back than I wanted to be and I was never really travelling the whole way round, but Gavin [Sheehan] had told me lots about her and Paul had told me lots about her. I knew once I passed a few she might take off and that's what she did. She got there.

"When I was jumping the last I could see Ben in my sights but I just didn't know how well he was going and I didn't know I'd got there when I passed the line.

"You dream of it but you never think it's going to happen. It's amazing, wow."

The Martin Pipe result prevented an Irish clean sweep on the final day of the meeting, with Willie Mullins winning the top trainer accolade on countback. Had Column Of Fire taken the final hurdle cleanly, he may well have given Gordon Elliott a decisive eight win and the title of top trainer.

It will also spark further debate about the successful appeal by connections of Coral Cup winner Dame De Compagnie against her handicap mark, given it was Indefatigable who she beat at Cheltenham in December.


Super seven for Elliott as Chosen Mate storms home in Grand Annual

The Irish domination on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival continued when Chosen Mate blew his Grand Annual rivals away for Gordon Elliott.

Travelling with plenty of enthusiasm under a confident Davy Russell, he eased into the lead before charging up the hill for a convincing win in the handicap.

Irish-trained horses also dominated the placings with Chosen Mate's stablemate Eclair De Beaufeu finishing second and Us And Them, for Joseph O'Brien, third.

Russell said: "He's a very, very good jumper but we thought inexperience would catch him out today. He surprised us when he won at Gowran and every day since he's got better and better.

"We went a good, solid gallop and I was happy to follow away at a few and not take him off the bridle too early. It's hard to know how good he is, he's still a novice so we just don't know."

He added: "Since I've been able to walk and talk my dad made this out to be a magical place this is, I've been lucky to witness that magic. It's been great."


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James StevensWest Country correspondent

Published on 13 March 2020inReports

Last updated 19:08, 13 March 2020

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