'This is the best' - joy for Ciaran Gethings as rider lands Topham barnstormer on Arizona Cardinal

Jockey Ciaran Gethings hailed his last-gasp Topham Chase victory on Arizona Cardinal as the best moment of his career.

Gethings thought the game was up when Paul Townend whizzed by him on James Du Berlais approaching the Elbow, but his mount rallied in the closing stages for a dramatic success.  

"This is the best," beamed Gethings. "My dad, nephew and cousin are here and my mum is watching at home, so it's special. I rode a Listed winner at Thurles during the winter [on Marsh Wren] and that gave me a buzz, but this tops it."

Arizona Cardinal, a winner of four of his six starts this season, has been a revelation for Stuart Edmunds in the Buckinghamshire trainer's most prolific season.

"It's been the plan for a long time to come here and it's worked," said Edmunds. "I thought we were beat, but he stays three miles and stayed on very well."

Arizona Cardinal's form dipped in the winter with back-to-back pulled-up efforts, and Edmunds paid tribute to his staff in getting him back.

"The horse didn't have it easy with a lung infection and he took a while to get over that," he said. "He's a lovely horse and it's been a great team effort."

City completes transformation

Willie Mullins admitted Dancing City had been close to being moved on from Closutton, but the seven-year-old completed his transformation into a Grade 1 winner with a resolute display in the Cavani-sponsored Sefton Novices' Hurdle.

Dancing City, who fared best of the Mullins team when third in the Albert Bartlett, looked to be struggling as the leaders kicked on again at the top of the straight, but despite putting out a few distress signals, Paul Townend stayed calm and the 4-1 chance soon moved menacingly back into contention before pulling clear to score by five and a half lengths at the line.

"Crossing the bottom, he went off the bridle for a few strides and Paul even thought the game was up, and then he seemed to get his second wind," said Mullins. 

"They were out on their feet on the testing ground and it was a good performance. When he came off the bridle he could have thrown in the towel, but he didn't. It's the difference between the good ones and the bad ones."

Dancing City wins the Sefton Novices' Hurdle under Paul TownendCredit: Edward Whitaker

Dancing City, second to Ballyburn in a Punchestown bumper last season, has not always shown the right signs to his trainer.

"It took him a long time to show me he was the horse we thought we'd bought, and there were a few times when we thought about shipping him out," said Mullins. 

"He's come right and is going to be an exciting novice chaser. He could just be another good one for Joe Donnelly."

More handicap joy for Skelton

Dan Skelton executed another big handicap victory with Kateira, this time one that had been a year in the making.

The mare was second to Irish Point in the Mersey Novices' Hurdle last season, but following a difficult campaign, connections set their sights lower in the 2m4f handicap hurdle.

Harry Skelton's choice of the stable's three runners in the race, Kateira showed her class when drawing clear to win as the 5-1 co-favourite.

"She came here last year for a Grade 1, which tells you what we thought of her," said the trainer. "She just got lost in the autumn and winter in two races on very bad ground.

"I'd earmarked this race since this meeting last year; if she didn't end up being a Graded horse it was the obvious race to come back for. We had Graded ambitions which had to be shelved, but she's a two-and-a-half miler on acceptable ground. She might go to Sandown on the last day of the season."

First chance taken

Ben Smith, 18, scored on his first outside ride when landing the conditional jockeys' and amateur riders' handicap hurdle on 40-1 shot El Jefe.

"His dad Mike and I are the best of pals and that was a class ride, like a professional," said delighted winning trainer Andrew Hamilton. "I said not to go too early. I'd been worried the ground was drying out too much, but when I walked it it was still pretty soft."

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