Rachael Blackmore pulls off shock win with Captain Guinness in the Queen Mother Champion Chase…. as favourite El Fabiolo pulls up in shock defeat after punters bet £3.7MILLION on him
Rachael Blackmore-ridden Captain Guinness has pulled off a huge upset with a 17-2 win in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
The feature race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival revolved around the Willie Mullins-trained El Fabiolo, the favorite’s favorite who had never been beaten in a steep chase.
His run was almost expected to be a coronation and a slice of history, with Mullins needing one more win to become the first to train 100 winners at the festival.
But El Fabiolo’s race was over when he dived at the fifth gate, sprawled on landing and came to a stop. He was immediately apprehended by Paul Townend.
£4.1 million was traded during this race, with £3.7 million put on El Fabiolo by punters, ITV said.
Rachael Blackmore jockeyed Captain Guinness to victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase
It was a shock win for Blackmore after El Fabiolo, the 2/9 favourite, made a jumping error and withdrew
As the drama unfolded, Captain Guinness cruised through the race chasing leaders Edwardstone and was left at the front as that weary rival dropped by two.
Despite tiring from the run-up, Captain Guinness Anderhalve kept his distance from Gentleman Du Mee, giving trainer Henry de Bromhead a fourth victory in the race.
Captain Guinness has a decent festival record, coming second in last season’s Champion Chase, but when he started the race he had run 13 Grade 1 chases and never won.
Blackmore, who won the race for the first time, said: “It’s a race to win. I am so happy. It felt like a long way up that hill!’
“He (Captain Guinness) traveled incredibly and jumped very well. It is unbelievable. So happy for his owner. He knocked on the door.
Regarding El Fabiolo’s fall, Mullins said, “I was very concerned that he took an early grab and then stood too far back near the fence, away from the stands, and didn’t get high enough.”
This was trainer Henry De Bromhead’s fourth victory in the Champion Chase
Willie Mullins, who trains El Fabiolo, said he was “very concerned” after the jumping error
There was no Jonbon in the race. He was withdrawn by trainer Nicky Henderson, who endured a torrid few days with his runners failing to perform while his yard was apparently struck by a breathing problem.
Henderson also pulled Shishkin out of Friday’s Gold Cup.