'A brilliant piece of riding' - Brown Advisory hero Sam Twiston-Davies hailed by Ruby Walsh

The Real Whacker just held off a charging Gerri Colombe, winning by a short-head in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, but the Cheltenham Festival's winningmost jockey Ruby Walsh believes the race was won coming down the hill for the final time, saying "it was a brilliant piece of riding by Sam Twiston-Davies".

The jockey had not ridden a winner at the Cheltenham Festival since 2016, when he had three successes, but took his festival tally to eight with a masterful ride.

Explaining how the race was won on ITV, Walsh said: "For me it was about the way Sammy Twiston controlled the pace in front. He was all the way over the road at the back of the third-last fence before he started to wind The Real Whacker up.

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"He controlled it all the way down the hill and even then, his whip was in his right hand, he didn't tap the horse on the shoulder until he spotted the stride going to the second last, and he committed then. He absolutely pinged the second last and landed running."

Sam Twiston-Davies prays for the photo finish to go his way after riding The Real Whacker to win The Brown Advisory Novices' ChaseCredit: Alan Crowhurst

While it looked a bold front-running ride, Walsh believed it was the energy Twiston-Davies was able to save in front due to his mount's extra gears that secured victory aboard the Patrick Neville-trained seven-year-old, who also had the option of running in Friday's Gold Cup before a decision was made to stay in novice company.

On a thrilling finish, Walsh said: "He didn't land as fluently at the back of the last, he spotted another brilliant stride, but his nose dropped to the ground as he was landing and I'd say Sammy was thinking 'oh no, don't lose too much momentum on me', but he regained his composure quickly and set about winning his race.

"To be able to control it down the hill and get over the road and onto the incline before he asked him to extend, that's why he was able to repel Gerri Colombe who was flying late. Gerri didn't have the gears The Real Whacker did, he got away from him and he just hung on, it was a brilliant piece of riding by Sam."

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