3 minute read

Special Tiara (11/1) delivered the finest performance of his career to be crowned a shock winner of the 2017 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase with a superb front-running performance in the two-mile chasing championship, the feature race on day two, Ladies Day, of the Cheltenham Festival.

Ridden by Noel Fehily, the 10-year-old son of Kayf Tara led throughout and jumped superbly. Still clear after jumping the last, Henry de Bromhead's charge responded well to Fehily's urgings up the punishing Cheltenham hill and fend off the late challenge of Colin Tizzard's 7/1 chance Fox Norton, who stayed on stoutly to finish just a head behind the winner, in a thrilling finish.

Tom George's Sir Valentino (33/1) was six lengths back in third.

Special Tiara is a regular at the Festival and has finished sixth, third and third again in the 2014-2016 renewals of the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. However, today was the gelding's crowning glory as he caused a seismic shock in a race many believed would be a mere procession for 2/9 favourite Douvan.

De Bromhead, gaining his fourth Cheltenham Festival winner, said: "It's a horse race and anything can happen but this is very hard to believe at the moment. No horse deserves it any more than this lad and Sally [Rowley-Williams, owner] loves her horses and no-one deserves this more than her.

"Noel gave Special Tiara a super ride. The horse is just a legend and I just thought he jumped really quick today over his fences. Noel is an amazing rider and I am absolutely delighted for him.

"I am so pleased for everyone involved. He seemed in great form coming into this - I nearly said to our head lad Davy Roche at home that this fellow seems better than ever and I said: 'No, no, I will stop'.

"Special Tiara seemed in great form but it is hard to believe with Douvan and everything else. For our lad, it's amazing. He just tries his heart out and no horse deserves it more.

"I thought that he jumped the slickest that he has ever jumped. Often, he jumps a bit high but he was so slick today, it's incredible.

"Any day that you win a Grade One at Cheltenham is an amazing day and one of the feature races. My uncle and aunt bred this horse and for Sally, it's just brilliant."

"Douvan is a super horse. I don't know what happened today but our horse has benefitted from it. I was surprised we had such a nice lead at the top of the hill and the finish was very nerve-wracking.

"He loves that better ground and he gives his all every time. He is a great horse."

The win by Special Tiara topped up his success yesterday in the Stan James Champion Hurdle on Buveur D'Air, and tomorrow he could make it a hat-trick of wins in the meeting's top races when riding hot favourite Unowhatimeanharry in the Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle. At present he has no ride in Friday's Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Special Tiara (11/1) scored by a head from Fox Norton (7/1) with Sir Valentino (33/1) six lengths back in third. The shock in that list is the absence of 2/9 favourite Douvan, who lost his unbeaten record when finishing seventh.

Fehily, who made all on the winner, said: "I've just won the race I always wanted to win - the Champion Chase is the best speed race over fences and it's a great one to have on the CV.

"I was wondering where Ruby was and thought he would be stalking me, but I got into a great rhythm down the back straight and my horse jumped better than he has ever done. He's a wonderful horse and deserved that, because he's been knocking on the door a few times third in this twice.

"It's difficult to make all in the Champion Chase, especially going at that speed, and you're worried you're a sitting target for something else. When I jumped the ditch at the top of the hill I thought Douvan might come past me, but I didn't think anything else would.

"Henry [De Bromhead, trainer] does a great job, and the better ground helped. He won at Kempton and showed he was in good form this season, but he's been bogged down in other races. If you said to me at the start of the week 'you can win the Champion Hurdle and Chase' I'd have taken that."