THE BIG Irish hope Mossbank came up five lengths short of winning yesterday's Ryanair Chase, sponsored by his owner Michael O'Leary, when the hitherto frustrating Our Vic, with first-time blinkers on, finally landed the festival prize his natural talent had long indicated was possible.
"Davy (Russell) said he was always going a stride quicker than he wanted," said Mossbank's trainer, Michael Hourigan.
"I thought the winner might come back to us but those blinkers really worked on him. We'll go to Punchestown now for the Gold Cup there."
Jockey Timmy Murphy conceded the blinkers had a big impact on Our Vic and said: "He kept picking up all the way to the line. He deserved that. He's one of our best horses.
"I'd almost forgotten how it feels to ride a winner here - I think the last was in the County Hurdle a few years ago," added 33-year-old Murphy.
"He's a bit older and wiser now and saves a bit for himself."
Irish interest in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase ended on the first circuit when Pomme Tiepy crashed out and it was left to Albertas Run to power home for the Tony McCoy-Jonjo O'Neill team.
It was an emotional victory for McCoy whose fight to get back from a back injury in time for the festival paid off in style.
Albertas Run's owner, Trevor Hemmings, also scored in the four-mile National Hunt Chase with the 9 to 1 shot Old Benny while the veteran Mister McGoldrick was a 66 to 1 shocker in the Racing Post Plate, giving trainer Sue Smith a first festival winner.
Nigel Twiston-Davies has enjoyed his best-ever season, with prize-money over £1 million, and he added some more when Ballyfitz (18-1) sluiced through the mud to win the Pertemps Final.
Paddy Brennan always looked confident as he held off Welsh National winner Miko De Beauchene by three lengths.
"I thought he was handicapped to the hilt and one or two would be improvers," said Twiston-Davies.
The Co Kilkenny-based trainer 'Dusty' Sheehy was fined £1,000 by the Cheltenham stewards yesterday after entering the racecourse stables with a prohibited substance. Sheehy was responsible for Merry Cowboy who finished 11th in the Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase.
Races over fences, scheduled for Navan on Sunday, have been abandoned after the chase course was found to be unfit for racing following a course inspection. One of the remaining hurdle races will be divided to form a six-race programme. There will be a 7.30am precautionary inspection at Down Royal on Sunday ahead of the fixture there on Monday due to current ground conditions on the chase course.
