Drama and boos as Tiger Roll denied dream end to career by stablemate Delta Work

Wednesday: Glenfarclas Chase, Cheltenham

Dual Grand National hero Tiger Roll was denied a historic sixth Cheltenham Festival win by his own stablemate on his farewell appearance in the Glenfarclas Chase.

Not since Top Cees won the Coral Cup in 1998 has a festival victory been booed from the grandstand, but such is the admiration among fans for Tiger Roll, there were sneers, jeers and a chorus of boos after Delta Work defeated the Cheltenham legend by three-quarters of a length.

Tiger Roll, trained by Gordon Elliott, raced with all the enthusiasm of the horse who won the Triumph Hurdle way back in 2014, leading from the 25th of the 32 fences as he bid for a third win in the Cross Country Chase.

He was still swinging turning in and clear over the last, but Delta Work, carrying the same Gigginstown House Stud colours as his legendary stablemate, came from the pack under Jack Kennedy to hunt Tiger Roll down in the final strides.

Owner Michael O'Leary, who announced beforehand that this would be the final appearance for the two-time National winner, tried to put a brave face on the result, but his deep disappointment was impossible to hide.

"I'm disappointed," he said, his voice already beginning to quiver. "I don't know what to say, I'm going to shoot Jack Kennedy when I see him!

"On ground that doesn't suit him and that's a Gold Cup horse that's beaten him, and only just beaten him, after over three miles on ground he wouldn't have liked and, ultimately . . . I'm sorry, I'm actually upset. I would have loved to see him win it."

He added: "If I could have controlled it I would have. You have to throw as many darts as you can at the dartboard here and hope something sticks. But, look, everybody here will get to celebrate Tiger today. This will be the last time they see him running on a racetrack and what a warrior he is. He's a legend."

A legend indeed and he departed like a legend. Back at his happiest hunting ground, flicking over Aintree-style fences, gobbling up the cheese wedges and skipping over the stuffed hurdles, he loved every single second of it. If he hated the ground he had a funny way of showing it.

By the time they got to the 25th obstacle, another railed hedge, Tiger Roll's rider Davy Russell couldn't wait any longer. Easysland, his conqueror in this race in 2020, had taken him as far as he could. The champagne was starting to be shaken; let's get this party started.

But, just as the final few words of the fairytale were being penned, Delta Work and Kennedy appeared out of the gloom to spoil all our fun. Tiger Roll did his very best to fight him off, he rallied once, twice, three times, but the younger and classier legs prevailed.

"I'd say a lot of people will hate me now but it doesn't really bother me," said the winning rider. "I thought I was always going to get there.

"To be honest, I thought the ground had gone for Tiger Roll and I was surprised at how well he was going, but I suppose it was in the back of my head that he might not get up the hill as good as my lad on that ground. I actually expected to pick him up a bit easier, but my lad just ground him down in the end.

"I was schooling Delta Work here the other morning and I said to my brother afterwards that I'm going to be the most hated man in Cheltenham on Wednesday evening. I was right. He's been very disappointing all season, but the switch to this cross-country racing rejuvenated him. I'm delighted."

Glenfarclas Chase: full result and race replay

Elliott was an emotional wreck afterwards. He looked as though he had gone the distance with Mike Tyson but somehow came out of the bout winning and losing.

"To be honest, I'm not going to tell you a lie, I was shouting for Tiger coming down to the last," he said.

Asked if he regretted running Delta Work, he added: "No. If I was here today and the ground went that soft and I didn't have Delta Work running I would have been absolutely puking. The wrong horse won and it would have been a dream come true if Tiger had won, but he did us proud and Tiger Roll made the race what it was. I wanted Tiger to win, I really did but, look, Delta Work won and it was a great race."

Tiger Roll (left) and Delta Work fight out the finish to the Glenfarclas ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

It was indeed a great race, a fabulous one, which tugged on our heartstrings every step of the way. That is what Tiger Roll has done for his entire career. He has turned us all into soppy messes.

Too small, too slight, too slow. Successful staying chasers without size and scope are about as rare as candlelit dinners between O'Leary and BHA handicapper Martin Greenwood.

Tiger Roll was always a bit different, though. He never stuck to scripts or did the things he was supposed to do. If he did, the "little rat of a thing", as O'Leary once infamously described him, would be long forgotten by now.

But, the truth is, Tiger Roll will never be forgotten. Not in our lifetime. Not ever. He will take up quite a few chapters of the history books and stay there too. You don't win at five different Cheltenham Festivals, land back-to-back Grand Nationals and not be remembered for a very, very long time.

Farewell, Tiger. Thanks for the memories.

Read these next:

'There will never be another Tiger Roll' – fans hail a jump racing legend

'A little rat of a thing but the heart of a lion' – top Tiger Roll quotes

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