Cheltenham Festival hero Stage Star survived an almost disastrous final-fence error to win on reappearance at the course where he won the Turners in March and land the Paddy Power Gold Cup.
The 4/1 favourite travelled strongly throughout and jumped with excellence but gave backers a mini heart-attack when he lunged at the final-fence, almost brushing his nose on the turf before recovering well to win by four lengths.
Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden combined once again at Cheltenham as the Owners’ Group star won at the famous racecourse on his third successive effort, following triumph in the Timeform Novices’ Handicap in January and Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Chase at the Festival in March.
The seven-year-old was followed home by Notlongtillmay in second as he was in the Turners, with Nicholls’ second string Il Ridoto in third, Fugitif in fourth and Unexpected Party in fifth.
The Real Whacker looked like he needed the run and was handed his first ever defeat over fences after three straight wins at Cheltenham, most notably edging 2024 Gold Cup hopeful Gerri Colombe by a short head in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
He jumped well from the front of the pack but weakened very quickly as the race approached the final stretch before being pulled up, marking a huge disappointment for trainer Patrick Neville but it was always going to be a tough order off top weight.
More drama at the last! 🤯
Stage Star stumbles at the final fence but gets up to win the Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase 🏆
What a recovery! #ITVRacing | @CobdenHarry | @PFNicholls pic.twitter.com/hYazLFg3Cw
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) November 18, 2023
When asked what exactly was going through his mind as Stage Star made his way over the final-fence, Cobden replied:
“Probably how much I love this horse. How genuine, honest and tough he was. It was going so well down to it, and I was probably in two minds – the horse was probably in two minds and we met it all wrong.
“To go from nearly 30 miles an hour to walking out the back of it and nearly falling, and then to get going just shows the true courage this horse really has.”
The son of Fame and Glory made all for his 4,000 owners in the Owners Group, who has now shortened to 4/1 to win the Ryanair Chase at the Festival next year according to horse racing betting sites.
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