A fraction of a second denied Ireland's Peter Charles (Traxdata T'Aime) a place in the jump-off for the prestigious King George V Gold Cup, in atrocious wet weather conditions at Hickstead yesterday. The event was eventually claimed by British team member Robert Smith (Senator Mighty Blue).
A quality field, including three past winners of this classic contest, had signed up for yesterday's £45,000 sterling test. However there were several withdrawals due to the deteriorating ground conditions, including Ireland's Hickstead specialist Captain John Ledingham, whose mount, Kilbaha, does not favour wet going.
After an eventful first round, marked by high scoring and incomplete rounds, as well as a crashing fall for Germany's triple Olympic gold medallist Ludger Beerbaum, just one combination, Smith and his 18-hands Irishbred mount, came home with a zero score.
The three remaining places in the jump-off were then distributed amongst those who had made only one mistake in their circuit. There were four in this group, and Peter Charles narrowly failed to make the cut, having opted for a cautious approach with his former Derby Trial winner, T'Aime.
This tactic almost paid off, but the French-bred gelding, last to go, clipped a pole at the first part of the penultimate double, and was too slow to claim the last available place in the jump-off, taking fifth place.
With faults carried through to the second round, jumped against the clock, there was still a chance for Smith to be toppled from the winner's podium, and after a 12fault opening effort from outsider Rob Hoekstra (Lionel), team-mate Nick Skelton piled on the pressure.
Skelton, a three time winner of this title, had only taken over the ride on David Broome's Irishbred Virtual Village Hopes Are High, on Monday of last week, but the new partnership cemented immediately and the nine-year-old Flagmount Diamond gelding flew around clear in 54.38 to give Smith a clear target to aim for.
After a cautious start, Smith and his mount went up a gear on the second half of the track, and even with a pole off the double, one from home, they had done enough to claim the £15,000 winner's cheque and equal Skelton's three victories in this event.
Ireland's Marion Hughes, who had taken seventh place in Saturday's Queen Elizabeth II Cup, was also in the money yesterday, claiming the All-England speed stakes with the French-bred Vaor d'Isigny, who positively relished the soft going when finishing with over a second in hand over Brazil's Rodrigo Pessoa.
