Meetmebythesea (2/1 favourite) gave owner J.P. McManus a first success in the Paddy Power Gold Cup in front of a crowd of 32,618 at Cheltenham on Saturday afternoon.
The £160,000 two-and-a-half-mile Premier Handicap Chase is the first major prize of the National Hunt season in Britain, and is the highlight of The November Meeting at Prestbury Park.
Ridden by McManus’ retained rider, Harry Cobden, the six-year-old Meetmebythesea travelled comfortably throughout the contest, seeing off the challenge of Blueking D’Oroux (100/30) and Harry Skelton to take a two-and-a-half length victory. Torneo (12/1), who stayed on up the Cheltenham hill took third for handler, Jamie Snowden, two and thee-quarter lengths behind the runner-up.
The winning trainer, Ben Pauling, admitted post-race:
“He was really good. Harry wanted to ride him forward because not many are coming in from behind today and he jumped brilliantly, travelled really well.
“I don’t know what I see him as quite now. But he needed to do that today. I think he showed a lot more than we’ve seen from him so far because of the way he found. But he’s just really good. You don’t know what you’ve got underneath the bonnet until you go to the races like that. But that was cool. That was really cool.
The winning rider, Harry Cobden, who won the Grade 2 Schloer Chase aboard Jonbon yesterday, said of this afternoon’s success:
“These days don’t come along very often. To ride a horse like him in a race like that – you just have to pinch yourself to be in this position.
“He travelled well. These good horses handle any ground and are very straightforward. He is a wonderful little horse and the more you ask him, the more he gives you. I wasn’t sure if I had the measure of Harry Skelton turning in but he was so brave after the last two and stuck his little nose out.
“It is wonderful for the boss (JP McManus). He puts so much into racing and I am just the lucky man that is allowed to be a part of it.”
