Gemirande dug deep to set up Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch for another huge success on Saturday in the Nyetimber December Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
The eight-year-old was a standout throughout the £125,000 contest but looked set to face a major threat from Madara when his rival challenged him over the final two fences.
But Gemirande (11/2) overcame both hurdles efficiently and found he could win by a length a little further up the hill.
Last year’s winner Fugitif defended his title firmly but had to settle for third this time, 7.5 lengths behind.
Deutsch said: “I’ve fallen in love with this horse. He’s quite personable and his jumps were electric.
Charlie Deutsch congratulates you on board Gemirande.
“I’m glad he’s putting his head forward, he loves the race and is really passionate about it. His jumps are so fast and he’s quite touchy-feely, so I found myself needing a bit of a breather along the way.
“I felt like we had a little bit of leeway (at the end), and it was a question of whether Madara could have a little bit more, but he’s really game and tries.
“He’s definitely gotten better with age. He was struggling to finish races early in his career. I’m glad he’s getting there now. Venetia is a magician with this horse.”
Recent big wins for the trainer-jockey combination have included Royale Pagaille and Djelo, with Deutsch adding: “I really enjoy it, I feel confident and now I know how Venetia works. I have a lot of confidence in her and her horse.”
Commenting on her hot streak, Williams said: “It’s amazing, always look at the big races on offer and see if there’s something for them.
“I wanted to run this horse in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, but he was underweight so he went to Ascot instead. I’ve never seen him run as fast from the last row at Ascot. I’ve been so impressed for a long time and I’m glad we did this. I thought I had to come here.
“Charlie wasn’t sure what he was going to do with the weights (10st 2lb) and I wasn’t sure what he was going to be cutting! Yesterday I think he was 10st 7lb and he said, ‘I’ll do the weights.'” He said, “I’ll do the weights.” I could have chosen a few easier weight options, but I wanted to come and ride him.
“He’s big, he’s got big shoulders, he hasn’t done 10st 2lb for a while and I think he’s a great jockey.
“Last season wasn’t a perfect season for the horse at all. He overreached really terribly and it took him a long time to get to the top, so last season didn’t really matter.
“We don’t set long-term goals. This was enough.”
Williams could be fighting with both hands as he looks for another major win in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
She added: “We would like to be able to run both L’Homme Presse and Royale Pagaille in King George. L’Homme Presse worked this morning and that is the current plan.”
The Bowen brothers share the spoils in Triumph Trial thriller.
There was a thrilling finish to the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham as Bowen brothers James and Sean shared the spoils in a closely contested race between Quantock Hills and Teriferma.
James looked to have claimed a decisive advantage when the Warren Greatrex-trained Quantock Hills (11/2) made a fine jump in the final flight to go clear.
But Sean provoked a late charge from 18/1 shot Teriferma to draw level just off the line, giving Jack Jones his second successive success in this race following An Bradan Feasa’s win last year.
James Bowen and Sean Bowen are keeping the heat going.
Irish striker Total Look paid for a few costly jumping errors in the latter stages and finished third as the 11/8 favourite.
Greatrex said: “It’s a bit of a family affair for the Bowens family and our companion is a lovely horse. He hasn’t run on the flat and is really inexperienced. He has raced very well and I think he has a very bright future.
“He just wandered off when he got hit head-on. When he first got here, it was a big place.
“At first I thought we had won, but then I thought we had lost. He was alone and had nothing to run, but he was a good horse.”
“He could be a horse for the Boodles (youth handicap hurdles). I think he would be better on softer ground. He’s a long-distance winner and I think we got there really too quickly.”
He added: “We’ve had two runners and two winners at Cheltenham this season – they may never come back again! Obviously it was very sad what happened to Abuffalosoldier in the last meeting, but he won and showed everyone what he can do that day. “Unfortunately, that’s part of the job.”
“I’m very happy. It’s a weird feeling to have a fever, but I feel like I won,” Jones said.
“I was very pleased. If he had finished second, if he had gone wild or won outright, he would have probably been the one to be out of the race where we were and how we hit the line.
“It’s very strange that we actually put in a low bid for the Quantock Hills in France and the two Bowen boys were also enthusiastic.
“We’ve had the horse for two or three months now and he’s very honest. Last year we won this race with An Bradan Feasa. I think he’s a bit more of a thinker, whereas this boy is a gentleman.
“Sean said he jumped a little big and we were a little behind. He missed three outs and the jump put him back a little further than ideal. But the way he finished, you could tell he had more speed than going up that hill. It’s slowing down and I’m glad.
“I thought our price was ridiculously high. He won two hurdle races and came second at a big weight, so I don’t know how we ended up at 18/1.
“I thought this boy was a better horse than he was last year, his schooling was good and there was no reason he couldn’t be a good horse.
“Boodles would be a logical step. When Willie Mullins releases his youngsters, we’ll probably give that race (Triumph Hurdle) to them.”
Haiti Couleurs suits Rebecca Curtis well.
Rebecca Curtis appears to have unearthed the horse that could take her back to the big time after the Haiti Couleurs performed brilliantly at Cheltenham.
The Welsh trainer is no stranger to success in the Cotswolds, having enjoyed festival glory alongside the likes of TeaforThree, At Fishers Cross and Stayers’ Hurdle hero Lisnagar Oscar.
But Curtis has gone quite a long time between drinks, with the latter leading to a shock win at her most recent grade level four-and-a-half years ago.
Haiti Couleurs, who won twice over hurdles at the end of last season, finished second on his pursuit debut at Chepstow in October and went one better in some style at Aintree last month.
He was a 4/1 shot to follow up in the Josh Wyke Birthday Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase and after jumping accurately under title-chasing Sean Bowen, he dug deep into the home straight to win by 2 3/4 lengths.
Staying on, Transmission moved up the 11/8 favorite Peaky Boy to second.
“He’s continuing to improve on this horse. He definitely had a good novice season (over hurdles) last season, but he was pretty bad the year before and actually missed a year entirely, so he’s still a bit behind for his age. “There is,” Curtis said.
“In the race he continues to improve and I don’t know where he’s really going to go. I really liked him in the National Hunt Chase because he stayed up all day, but Sean said he’s improved so much since the Aintree win. You wouldn’t think that would be the case. I know he’s going to go to Brown’s advisory group.
“It’s great to be back here. We have the kind of horse back that will keep us on the map anyway.”
Lucy Wadham’s glory days
Game On For Glory was victorious in the Quintessentially Mares’ Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.
Lucy Wadham’s charge has done well on the track twice, first in the Bumpers in 2021 and last spring in the Grade Two Mares’ Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase Final.
Game on for glory
The eight-year-old, who blew away all the cobwebs on her reappearance at Market Rasen in October with a fourth-place finish, was sent off at 22/1 under champion jockey Harry Cobden and dug deep on the run-in to win by a length and three points. -One quarter of So Said I.
“She played very well here in the spring and got off to a great start to the season by playing very well at Market Rasen,” Wadham said.
“We’ve had some time since then so we waited for this race and she did brilliantly.
“She’s tough and she knows how to win. That was the goal. She might be back here in April, but I don’t know yet what we’ll do in between.
“I had a really bad day yesterday. I had four runners and everyone finished near last. I won at Doncaster today and now I’ve won here too. Can’t make up for it, right? It’s a fun old game.”
