Paul Townend timed his run perfectly to topple Il Est Francais at Banbridge and land the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton.
The French striker, trained by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, produced a stunning jump under James Reveley and turned straight to extend the lead to around 10 lengths.
But Paul Townend of Banbridge (7-1), trained by Joseph O’Brien, was showing real power and was fist-pumping the spirited frontrunner who has been so good on this card for 12 months. before.
Il Est Francais, who was starting to tire, approached too tightly towards the end, giving Banbridge a chance, and when he met his chance with a long stride he landed with all his momentum to win by one and a quarter lengths.
Considering the way the race was conducted with Il Est Francais, some of the very good horses never took part.
The likes of Spillane’s Tower, Envoi Allen and Gray Dawning made mistakes early on and never entered the race.
L’Homme Presse, making his first appearance of the season, finished third from the rest, while The Real Whacker justified the decision to supplement him by finishing fourth for the second year in a row.
O’Brien said: “It’s a special win. I’m very happy for Ronnie (Bartlett, owner) and the team. He’s a special horse for us over the last few years.
Paul Townend and Joseph O’Brien
“It would be a dream to win a race like King George, but I feel a bit sad for JJ (Slevin, Ireland’s regular jockey) who has a great relationship with King George but couldn’t ride him himself. Today is a very special day for Paul. It was.
“Kempton is a flat track and at this distance there is more emphasis on speed than elsewhere. Paul was happy to have found a good rhythm and the race went well for him.
“I actually thought Il Est Francais was heading home, but our horse kept running all the way to the line. His determination and stamina were tested, but he had enough for today.
“It’s really special. I grew up watching that. Having a runner is special, but being the winner is a dream come true.”
“We’re going to enjoy today. Let’s see how he pulls up and discuss plans and see what we all want to do.”
He added: “After Punchestown Ronnie rang me and said he wanted to give King George a try, we made plans to do two two-mile runs to sharpen his jumps. We made headgear. I put it back on and he was ready to stretch his legs.”
