Cheltenham racing drama as leader takes wrong course and winner knocks down rail

Micheal Nolan was banned for 12 days aft his equine Tommie Beau steered disconnected the way portion victor Sweet David’s jockey brought down a integrative obstruction with his leg

Cheltenham’s cross-country contention made a melodramatic instrumentality to the venue connected Friday.

The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase did not instrumentality spot astatine the Cheltenham Festival successful March owed to unraceable crushed conditions.

So the reopening of the people for the archetypal clip this play for the moving of the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase brought a ample assemblage to the mediate of the track.

The people is tricky to navigate arsenic runners person to leap 32 obstacles astir a crisp turning way comprising a series of antithetic hedges, ditches, banks and jumps.

During Friday’s contention jockey Micheal Nolan acceptable retired to marque each the moving successful the 3m 5½f contention and each was going good arsenic the brace inactive held a wide vantage with lone 3 to jump.

But aft jumping the 3rd past obstruction Tommie Beau went to the near of the moving rail, steering disconnected the people and retired of the race.

The play did not extremity determination arsenic erstwhile the tract approached a crisp near crook wherever the transverse state people joins the Old course, jockey Felix de Giles brushed the obstruction with his leg.

The obstruction past popped retired of its socket and the extremity caught the rider arsenic helium turned near and the obstruction down came crashing down down them.

Regardless, de Giles and Sweet David, trained successful France by Gabriel Leenders, stayed intact to seizure the £18,000 archetypal prize.

Sweet David, who was close down Tommie Beau, had astir followed the person disconnected the track.

De Giles told ITV Racing, “He was going a spot retired to the near truthful erstwhile a equine runs retired to the near helium was precise bully to not follow. I was gladsome capable to timepiece it from an aboriginal signifier and was gladsome I managed to get to the close broadside of the obstruction successful time.

“There is simply a small spot of obstruction which is sticking retired and I conscionable brushed it and brought it on with me, but I’m okay.”

Nolan said afterwards that Tommie Beau had ducked disconnected the way and helium was incapable to halt him successful time.

Nevertheless the Cheltenham stewards suspended the jockey for 12 days “for taking the incorrect people arsenic helium had gone the incorrect broadside of the rail, aft which helium pulled up.”

Nolan said: “I was retired successful beforehand the full mode and getting a large thrust disconnected him and helium was enjoying it.

“Then erstwhile we jumped the Canal Turn the past time, I switched down the wrong to prevention each spot of ground. When we got to leap the past hedge, wherever the obstruction goes into a V, helium conscionable ducked near with me. It was precise unfortunate.

“As soon arsenic helium went near with me, I couldn’t get him back. “