THE Cheltenham winners' enclosure became forever a little part of Cork as wild scenes of jubilation greeted the victory of Imperial Call in yesterday's Gold Cup.
Trained by Scottish born Mr Fergie Sutherland near the tiny village of Carrigadrohid in mid Cork, the seven year old Imperial Call routed the best British horses, including the hot favourite, One Man, in his first race outside Ireland to win steeplechasing's greatest prize.
The large crowd swamped the enclosure as Wexford born jockey Conor O'Dwyer brought imperial Call into the ring. "I didn't have just my money on him, I had my religion too," roared one punter.
As the crowd burst into The Banks of my own Lovely Lee, Mr Sutherland (64), who lost a leg in a landmine blast with the British army in Korea, struggled to get through. "I want to get to my horse. Let me get to my horse."
When he eventually got there he was given three cheers and a round of "For he's a jolly good fellow". If some felt a certain irony that Ireland's first Gold Cup winner since Dawn Run in 1986 was trained by a man born and raised in Scotland, it was quickly banished by the warmth of the welcome.
Mr Sutherland moved to Cork 30 years ago after training for some years in England, and has become one of the great characters of Irish racing. However, he is also a cool professional and got Imperial Call to Cheltenham in peak fitness from a training yard that has only three other horses.
Both Mr Sutherland and O'Dwyer were tasting Cheltenham success for the first time and Mr Sutherland said: "I thought Conor rode a super race on him. I first thought Imperial Call would win the Cheltenham Gold Cup when he was only a five year old. He has improved every day this season - and he is still improving."
O'Dwyer was delighted, if not flabbergasted, by the reception. "I have never seen anything like it and I don't think I will again. I always dreamed I would be here some day, but coming back I thought I was going to get dragged off the horse. Imperial Call can be a bit odd at times but he just strolled in. He enjoyed it as well."
